HoldsUp

Aly Cohen

Aly Cohen is a physician and researcher whose work addresses environmental health, toxicology, and clinical medicine. Her published research includes analyses of regulatory safety limits for chemical exposures such as Bisphenol A (BPA), as well as case studies on systemic lupus erythematosus and localized hypersensitivity reactions.

27 claims checked on air: 7 context 3 contradicted 2 overstated 12 supported 3 unverified

What they said on air

0:05:50contradictedhighUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

There are 160,000 wastewater treatment plants serving 85% of the US population's drinking water.

"why there's so much contamination in all 160,000 wastewater treatment plants that serve 85% of the US population's drinking water" (said at 0:05:50)

The speaker confuses and conflates statistics regarding US wastewater treatment facilities and drinking water systems. According to US EPA data cited across environmental literature (such as status reviews of US public water systems), there are approximately 16,000 publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in the United States, not 160,000. Additionally, wastewater treatment plants process sewage and discharge treated effluent into surface waters; drinking water is supplied by community and public water systems (approx. 150,000 public water systems, of which ~50,000 are community water systems serving over 90% of the US population). While some drinking water surface sources receive upstream wastewater discharge (indirect reuse), wastewater treatment plants themselves do not directly serve 85% of the population's drinking water.

0:06:15unverifiedvery lowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

The 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act designated regulation for only 91 chemicals out of approximately 95,000 chemicals with potential to enter the water system.

"They're from 1974 with the Safe Drinking Water Act, which only designated 91 chemicals. 91 out of now what we know is about 95,000 chemicals, rough estimate, that have potential to get into our water system." (said at 0:06:15)

No published record matching the specific claim that the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act designated regulation for only 91 chemicals out of approximately 95,000 chemicals with potential to enter the water system was located; this does not prove the claim false.

0:06:45contradictedhighUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Water makes up 85 to 90% of cells and the human body.

"Water is such an important part of the human body. It is part of 85 to 90% makeup of our cells and the human body, even the brain of course." (said at 0:06:45)

Standard human physiological data show that total body water accounts for approximately 50% to 60% of total body weight in healthy adults (varying slightly by sex, age, and adiposity) and typical human cells are approximately 70% water. In newborns, total body water averages approximately 73.8%, with levels approaching 85% to 90% only seen in extremely premature fetuses (e.g., around 26 weeks gestation). Brain tissue contains approximately 73% to 80% water. Claiming that water comprises 85% to 90% of the adult human body and its cells substantially overestimates standard physiological baselines.

0:13:47unverifiedvery lowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Upwards of 75% to 85% of bottled water is tap water.

"So upwards of 75 to 85% of bottled water is tap water. So people don't realize that what companies are actually doing is just filling up from their own tap water." (said at 0:13:47)

No published record matching the claim that upwards of 75% to 85% of bottled water is tap water was located; this does not prove the claim false. Published assessments and regulatory overviews generally estimate that municipal supply accounts for approximately 25% to 50% of bottled water (often treated and labeled as purified water), with the remainder sourced from natural springs, artesian wells, and mineral aquifers, rather than 75% to 85%.

0:17:10needs contextlowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Every plastic water bottle contains on average about 240,000 microplastics, up to 500,000.

"every plastic bottle has on average about 240,000 microplastics, even up to 500,000." (said at 0:17:10)

A landmark 2024 study published in PNAS analyzed three popular brands of bottled water in the United States and found an average of approximately 240,000 (2.4 ± 1.3 × 10^5) plastic particles per liter of bottled water, ranging up to several hundred thousand particles. However, the speaker's statement requires two key qualifications: first, roughly 90% of the detected particles were nanoplastics (under 1 µm in length) rather than microplastics (1 µm to 5 mm). Second, this count was measured per liter of bottled water across specific tested brands rather than an established baseline for every individual plastic bottle of any size.

0:18:35supportedmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Phthalates affect hormones and the immune system and make plastic flexible, whereas BPA often makes plastic harder.

"phthalates, which have effects on hormones, but also the immune system—they are making plastic flexible, whereas BPA often makes it harder." (said at 0:18:35)

The speaker accurately describes both the material roles and biological impacts of phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA). In plastics manufacturing, phthalates are primarily used as plasticizers to increase the flexibility and durability of plastics (such as polyvinyl chloride, PVC), whereas BPA is predominantly used as a building block for rigid, hard polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Biologically, both animal and epidemiological studies demonstrate that phthalates act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (interfering with hormone signaling, including androgen and estrogen pathways) and can alter immune system development and function (such as airway inflammation, immune cell response, and allergic sensitization).

0:24:00supportedmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Sleep enables the glymphatic system to wash out and clear chemicals and waste products to which the body is exposed.

"great quality sleep to help wash out from our glymphatic system chemicals that we get exposed to directly or indirectly throughout our lives and our daily life" (said at 0:24:00)

The claim is supported by neurobiological research. The glymphatic system is a macroscopic waste clearance pathway in the central nervous system that utilizes perivascular channels to facilitate the convective exchange of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid (ISF), clearing metabolic waste products, soluble proteins (such as amyloid-beta), and neurotoxic solutes. Landmark experimental and neuroimaging evidence demonstrates that glymphatic clearance is markedly upregulated during natural sleep—facilitated by an expansion of the interstitial space—and relatively quiescent during wakefulness.

0:24:25needs contextlowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Specific nutrients such as vitamin B9 (folic acid), omega-3 fatty acids, quercetin, and vitamin C offset epigenomic alterations caused by environmental chemicals.

"specific nutrients that we now know offset epigenomic changes, which are the changes that environmental chemicals can have effects on in terms of how our DNA is expressed or not. That's the proteins that sit on top or epigenome that get manipulated in a good or bad way. And I'm saying in a good way: let's throw nutrition that we now know specifics, like vitamin B9, which is folic acid, or omega-3 fatty acids, good quality quercetin, vitamin C" (said at 0:24:25)

Preclinical animal and cell models demonstrate that specific dietary nutrients, particularly methyl donors such as folic acid (vitamin B9) and polyphenolic compounds, can prevent or counteract DNA methylation and other epigenetic alterations caused by environmental chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates. However, the evidence supporting these specific protective nutrient interactions is predominantly derived from animal models (such as the viable yellow agouti mouse and rodent developmental exposure models) and in vitro systems, rather than established clinical trial outcomes in humans.

0:27:40supportedhighUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

In the European Union, the scientific bodies that assess food safety risk are separated from the regulatory bodies that manage it, whereas in the United States both roles reside within the same agency.

"In Europe, they have a much more rigorous process by which the EU does go through all of their compounds. They also separate, especially for the food system, the people who create the science behind risk are separated from the people who manage management, you know, in terms of regulation. In the United States, those two bodies are actually together." (said at 0:27:40)

The speaker's claim accurately reflects the core institutional design of food safety governance in the European Union compared to the United States. Under European Union General Food Law (Regulation EC 178/2002), scientific risk assessment is institutionally separated and assigned to an independent scientific body—the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)—while regulatory risk management and decision-making remain the responsibility of the European Commission, member states, and the European Parliament. In contrast, in the United States, both scientific risk evaluation and regulatory risk management for foods reside within the same regulatory agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

0:28:15unverifiedvery lowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Approximately 1,200 chemicals used in the United States are banned in the European Union.

"there's almost I I think it's estimated about 1,200 chemicals that are used differently uh that are banned, I'm sorry, in the EU than they are in the United States." (said at 0:28:15)

No published record matching the claim that approximately 1,200 chemicals used in the United States are banned in the European Union was located; this does not prove the claim false.

0:32:44needs contextlowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Ultra-processed foods, chemicals, and nutritional deficiencies such as magnesium deficiency contribute to the development of migraines.

"We know that a lot of chemicals and processed and ultra-processed foods can contribute to migraines. We know that deficiencies in nutrition like magnesium, which is an anthropologic deficiency, we haven't really gotten those in our you know routinely in our lives. The combination can lead to things like migraines" (said at 0:32:44)

Magnesium deficiency and dietary patterns are recognized modulators in migraine pathophysiology, but the strength of evidence varies considerably across the specific factors mentioned. Magnesium deficit is biologically linked to cortical spreading depression, neurogenic inflammation, and NMDA receptor activation, and oral magnesium supplementation has demonstrated efficacy in migraine prophylaxis across randomized trials. However, while overall poor dietary quality and certain food components (such as caffeine fluctuations or specific additives) are frequently reported as triggers or exacerbating factors, robust evidence directly establishing ultra-processed foods or specific chemicals as primary causal drivers of migraine development remains limited and inconsistent.

0:33:40supportedmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Environmental chemical exposures can cause genetic changes that are inherited by successive generations.

"where we know these exposures can play a role in successive generation genetic changes." (said at 0:33:40)

Evidence from animal studies and systematic reviews demonstrates that parental exposure to environmental chemicals and toxicants can alter the germline, causing both genetic mutations (such as elevated germline mutation rates and genomic instability) and epigenetic changes that are passed down to successive generations.

0:38:50supportedmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Inhaled PM2.5 particulate matter and associated chemicals pass directly across the lungs into the bloodstream.

"And they get into the human body, just like if you breathe in, you're going to get oxygen, but you're going to take with it whatever's in that air with it. And we know oxygen goes right into the bloodstream, so so does so do these chemicals." (said at 0:38:50)

Experimental studies in humans, animal models, and in vitro alveolar barrier models demonstrate that inhaled fine and ultrafine particles (a component of PM2.5) and their soluble chemical constituents translocate across the alveolar-capillary barrier directly into the bloodstream. In human inhalation trials, inhaled nanoparticles were detected in systemic circulation (blood and urine) within 15 minutes to 24 hours of exposure and accumulated in vascular tissue, with smaller particles (<10 nm) translocating at substantially higher rates.

0:39:23needs contextmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

People spend approximately 93 percent of their time indoors in their homes and about 6 percent outdoors.

"mostly into our homes, where we spend 93 or so percent of our time, maybe 6% outside of our home." (said at 0:39:23)

According to the National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS; n=9,386), respondents reported spending an average of 87% of their time in enclosed buildings and 6% in enclosed vehicles, totaling roughly 93% in enclosed environments and leaving about 7% outdoors. However, the speaker conflates total indoor/enclosed time with time spent specifically inside the home; time in residential locations accounts for roughly 67% to 69% of total time, rather than 93%.

0:42:14supportedhighUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

The recommended clean air delivery rate (CADR) for an indoor air purifier is 300 CADR for every 500 square feet of room space.

"that CADR is really you're looking for a 300 CADR for every 500 square feet. Um, and that's really sort of the going, you know, you want a filter that's going to be able to handle the space of the room. And so that's kind of the going number, is 300 for every 500 square ft um of of room." (said at 0:42:14)

The statement accurately reflects standard sizing guidelines for portable air cleaners. Under the standard ANSI/AHAM AC-1 protocol developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and recognized by the EPA, the recommended '2/3 rule' specifies that an air cleaner's clean air delivery rate (CADR, in cubic feet per minute for smoke/particulate matter) should be at least two-thirds (approx. 60–67%) of the room's floor area in square feet (assuming standard 8-foot ceiling heights to achieve at least 4 to 5 air changes per hour). For a 500 sq ft room, two-thirds equals approximately 333 CADR, making a 300–330 CADR rating the standard recommendation for 500 square feet.

0:45:28supportedhighUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

N95 respirator masks do not filter or manage volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

"they do much better in terms of the VOCs, which actually are not actually um uh managed with the N95." (said at 0:45:28)

Standard N95 filtering facepiece respirators are designed and certified specifically to filter airborne particulate matter (capturing at least 95% of non-oil particulate aerosols) and do not capture or filter gaseous contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Filtering gaseous VOCs requires chemical sorbents (such as activated carbon), which standard particulate N95 respirators lack.

0:48:58supportedhighUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds that upregulate stage II liver detoxification conjugation.

"getting them to eat those cruciferous vegetables that upregulate stage II conjugation, that break down, you know, from all of their, you know, the compounds that are magical." (said at 0:48:58)

Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and radishes) contain bioactive compounds, particularly glucosinolates that are hydrolyzed into isothiocyanates (such as sulforaphane). These compounds activate the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway, leading to the upregulation of phase II detoxification and conjugation enzymes, including glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases. A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of human dietary intervention trials demonstrated that consumption of cruciferous vegetables significantly increased the activity of the phase II conjugation enzyme glutathione S-transferase-alpha (GST-α) by 15% to 35%.

0:50:35contradictedmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Teenagers use more personal care products in a 24-hour period than any other demographic group.

"letting teenagers know they use the most personal care products in 24 hours than any other demographic." (said at 0:50:35)

Surveys and exposure assessments of daily personal care product (PCP) use across demographic groups show that adult women, rather than teenagers as an overall demographic group, consistently report the highest total number and variety of personal care products used per day. Studies examining PCP use patterns across age groups indicate that concurrent use and multi-product regimens are highest and most complex among adults.

0:51:12supportedmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Chemical ingredients under the labels 'perfume' or 'fragrance' in personal care and cleaning products are not legally required to be tested for safety or toxicity before being sold.

"the word perfume or fragrance. Okay. In any products, you know, personal care or cleaning products. These are, again, not regulated. None of those chemicals are not not even tested, I should say, not so much regulated, but they're not even required to be tested for safety or toxicity uh before they make it into the the product and make it onto the shelf." (said at 0:51:12)

Under United States law (such as the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act), cosmetic ingredients—with the exception of color additives—are not subject to mandatory premarket safety approval or government toxicity testing before being sold to the public. Proprietary fragrance formulations can legally be listed under generic terms like 'fragrance' or 'perfume' without disclosing individual chemical constituents. While industry self-regulatory bodies (such as the International Fragrance Association and the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials) perform voluntary safety evaluations, federal regulations do not mandate premarket toxicity testing or premarket approval for these ingredient mixtures before they enter the market.

0:51:37needs contextmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Unlike USDA organic foods, personal care and cleaning products can be labeled organic while containing only a single organic ingredient and 99.9% non-organic ingredients.

"And if a personal care product says it's organic, that's really held for food. That is really only the criteria for USDA organic foods. The difference is that personal care cleaning products can put one organic ingredient in and have 99.9% other ingredients that are not organic and are toxic." (said at 0:51:37)

The speaker touches on an established regulatory loophole regarding personal care products and greenwashing, but oversimplifies the regulatory scope. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates cosmetics and personal care products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act but does not define or regulate the term 'organic' for cosmetics. Because of this lack of a dedicated statutory definition, personal care and household cleaning products not seeking USDA certification can make front-of-package marketing claims (such as promoting a single organic ingredient) while the majority of the formulation consists of non-organic or synthetic substances. However, USDA organic certification is not strictly limited to food: cosmetics and personal care products made with agricultural ingredients can voluntarily obtain USDA National Organic Program (NOP) certification if they meet the standard threshold criteria (e.g., at least 95% organic content to use the USDA Organic seal, or at least 70% for 'Made with Organic' claims).

0:52:43supportedmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Non-nanoparticle zinc oxide sunscreen stays on the skin surface and is not absorbed into the bloodstream.

"and just doing zinc oxide, you know, the kind that we think of with the nose and the, you know, the uh lifeguards, those stay on the surface of skin. They don't get absorbed into the bloodstream." (said at 0:52:43)

The speaker's statement that traditional non-nanoparticle ("lifeguard-style") zinc oxide sunscreens remain on the surface of the skin and do not penetrate into the viable epidermis or get absorbed as particulate zinc oxide is well supported by dermatological and toxicological literature. Studies consistently demonstrate that particulate zinc oxide (both pigment-grade and nano-scale) remains confined to the outermost stratum corneum and follicular openings without permeating the viable dermal layers. Some minor surface hydrolysis can produce soluble zinc ions that may minimally cross into the skin and enter the physiological pool of systemic zinc, but the intact zinc oxide particles themselves do not absorb into the bloodstream.

0:54:26supportedmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Using hand sanitizer accelerates the dermal absorption of BPA from thermal paper receipts into the body.

"the idea that BPA as a um can get into the skin even with hand sanitizers more effectively than without hand sanitizer. So, not only can BPA get into the skin—we know this from studies on uh people who work with receipts, checkout people, especially pregnant checkout people, can have some of the highest levels, believe it or not. Um, and so those are human studies, but he was able to also show that even when you put on another chemical like a hand sanitizer, a typical, you know, found everywhere, it actually accelerates the movement of BPA into the skin, which can be then tested in the urine." (said at 0:54:26)

Published experimental research confirms that applying hand sanitizer before holding thermal receipt paper substantially increases the transfer and absorption of bisphenol A (BPA). In an experimental human study by Hormann et al. (2014), hand sanitizers containing dermal penetration-enhancing chemicals were shown to facilitate rapid dermal and systemic absorption of free BPA from thermal paper, resulting in significant spikes in bioactive serum BPA and urinary total BPA concentrations within 90 minutes.

0:54:40overstatedlowUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Studies show that retail checkout workers who handle receipts, particularly pregnant checkout workers, have some of the highest measured levels of bisphenol A (BPA).

"we know this from studies on uh people who work with receipts, checkout people, especially pregnant checkout people, can have some of the highest levels, believe it or not." (said at 0:54:40)

Biomonitoring studies confirm that cashiers and retail workers who regularly handle thermal receipt paper have significantly higher urinary levels of bisphenol A (BPA) compared to non-cashiers or pre-shift baselines. However, the claim overstates the magnitude and specificity of this risk. First, industrial workers involved in BPA, polycarbonate, and epoxy resin manufacturing exhibit substantially higher measured BPA levels than cashiers. Second, while BPA exposure in pregnant women is a recognized concern, there is no published evidence demonstrating that pregnant cashiers specifically have uniquely higher BPA levels than non-pregnant cashiers or other exposed worker populations.

0:55:35needs contexthighUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Intravaginally administered medications such as estradiol are rapidly absorbed through vaginal tissue and can be measured in the bloodstream within minutes.

"We put estradiol, we push put lots of intravaginal medications into the vaginal canal with the intention to actually do something, right? And we can measure that within minutes in the bloodstream." (said at 0:55:35)

Intravaginal administration of steroid hormones such as micronized estradiol can undergo rapid and efficient absorption into systemic circulation due to the rich vascular network of the vaginal mucosa, bypassing first-pass hepatic metabolism (PMID: 6422370). However, systemic blood levels depend heavily on the specific dose and formulation: low-dose intravaginal estradiol preparations (such as 4 µg or 10 µg softgel capsules or tablets) designed for local treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy show minimal to negligible systemic absorption, maintaining serum estradiol levels within normal postmenopausal ranges (PMID: 28002201, PMID: 28364869). Thus, while the vagina is a highly permeable route capable of rapid systemic drug absorption, not all intravaginal estradiol formulations lead to significant systemic circulating levels.

0:57:30needs contextmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

PEGylated chemicals are added to cosmetics and lotions to penetrate and break through the protective epidermal skin barrier.

"The chemicals that are typically used for that are called PEGylated. They're PEGylated chemicals. And in fact, if you look at certain creams and lotions, they will say PEG-something, PEG-something. That prefix basically essentially means that it's making its way through an outer shell of our body" (said at 0:57:30)

The claim provides accurate general context regarding the functional properties of PEG derivatives, but requires clarification on terminology. In cosmetic and dermatological formulations, polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivatives (often labeled as 'PEG-something', where the number represents the average number of ethylene oxide units or molecular weight) are frequently employed as emulsifiers, surfactants, and penetration enhancers. Mechanistic and ex vivo skin studies confirm that certain PEGylated emulsifiers (such as PEG alkyl ethers) can interact with stratum corneum lipids, increase lipid fluidity, and enhance the percutaneous penetration of formulated ingredients. However, the prefix 'PEG' is a chemical nomenclature indicating polyethylene glycol polymer chains, not a descriptor designating a barrier-breaching function, and PEGs are primarily added to stabilize emulsions, alter product viscosity, and act as solvents or humectants.

1:02:42supportedhighUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

USDA organic standards were initiated in the 1990s and became fully implemented in the United States by 2002.

"And it started in the 1990s. It took 10 years to put into the market. By 2002, it was like up and running." (said at 1:02:42)

The claim accurately describes the historical timeline of federal organic regulation in the United States. Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) as part of the 1990 Farm Bill to establish uniform national standards for organic agricultural products. Following a lengthy period of rule development and implementation, the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards were fully implemented and went into effect in October 2002.

1:02:50overstatedmoderateUnseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday

Organic food provides higher nutritional value and lowers exposure to pesticides, fertilizer chemicals, and genetically modified ingredients.

"And it is the only thing we actually have that reduces thousands of pesticides, thousands of fertilizer chemicals, genetically modified ingredients, and guess what? Everyone can access a lot of this food now because it's frozen organic in big box stores nationally, higher nutrition, less pesticides." (said at 1:02:50)

The speaker bundles multiple claims regarding organic food. The claim that organic food reduces exposure to synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizer chemicals, and genetically modified organisms is supported: certified organic standards prohibit synthetic fertilizers, most synthetic pesticides, and genetic engineering, and systematic reviews confirm significantly lower pesticide residue frequency on organic crops and lower urinary pesticide biomarker concentrations in consumers. However, the assertion that organic food provides broadly "higher nutrition" is overstated: comprehensive systematic reviews have found that organic produce does not consistently differ from conventional produce in major vitamins, minerals, or standard macronutrients in a clinically meaningful way, although some meta-analyses report higher concentrations of specific secondary metabolites (such as polyphenolic antioxidants). Additionally, framing organic food as the "only thing we actually have" to reduce chemical exposure is hyperbolic.

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