Easy Steps to a Healthier Home

POTENTIAL DANGER: Nonstick cookware

The scoop: Pans that let cookies slide off easily and make cleanup a cinch contain perfluorochemicals (or PFCs), which have been shown to cause cancer, hormone disruption, and hypothyroidism in animals. In humans, they've been linked to a decreased ability to fight infection, as well as low birth weight in babies whose mothers were exposed to them during pregnancy. PFCs are found in the linings of fast-food packaging and most microwave-popcorn bags to keep grease from soaking through (as well as in some furniture and carpeting).

Healthy-home fixes: It's not clear whether humans are at risk from day-to-day exposure, but environmental-health experts recommend these commonsense precautions: