The Friends of the Rockville Public Library welcomed Brian Toal , toxicologist and co-author of the book , “ What’s Toxic , What’s Not , ” as part of its monthly speakers series on Thursday , Jan . 3 .

Toal’s conversation included common misconceptions about what is or is not toxic and a review of 10 steps which he said should be done to make sure that one’s home is safe . He also answered questions from the audience on topics of concern which have been in the news recently , including the presence of lead in paint , children’s toys and makeup .

Toal was very careful not to portray his conversation or his book as alarmist and insisted that no one should panic at the information he discussed . “ Things are much better than they were when I was growing up , ” he said . “ The environment is much cleaner , the water is clearer , and the food is safer . The big things that the EPA [ Environmental Protection Agency ] was chartered to do have been done . ”

However , he said that lifestyle changes and new research have discovered additional safety hazards and , therefore , made safety , vigilance and moderation important . “ One of the things that we have learned is that an informed consumer can avoid unnecessary exposure to environmental hazards , and that is the central message that the book tries to get across , ” Toal said .

As an example , Toal asked for a response from the audience about if they believed that microwaving plastic , as in plastic food storage containers , would produce dioxin . Although a majority said that they believed it would , Toal said that in fact it would not . “ Dioxin is produced when plastic is burned in a fire , and a microwave does not produce that high of a temperature , ” he said .

Toal was quick to mention , however , that microwaving plastic that comes into contact with food can be a health hazard because of the possible release of thylakoids , which are put into plastic to make it softer . He said that the European Union and the city of San Francisco , Calif ., had banned thylakoids in plastic products , including rubber ducks found commonly in the bathtubs of youngchildren , because of the potential health hazards .

“ We recommend not having plastic come into contact with food in the microwave , because in some types of plastic the thylakoids can get into the food , ” Toal said . He stressed that such cases are widely believed , but not explicitly proven , and that the highest sensitivity occurs in women who are pregnant and in youngchildren . “ There is a saying in toxicology that the dose makes the person , ” Toal said , reiterating his main point of moderation .

“ What’s Toxic , What’s Not , ” written by Toal and his colleague , Dr . Gary Ginsberg , lists many different subjects and offers suggestions for the safe and aware consumer . Among the suggestions are testing one’s home for proven toxins , such as radon and carbon monoxide , instead of mold , which is not a proven carcinogen but instead a respiratory irritant . “ Every house should be tested for radon every five to 10 years, because radon is the number-two leading cause of lung cancer . And no home should be without at least one carbon monoxide detector , ” Toal said .

Other suggestions included making sure that homes built before 1978 – when lead paint was banned from the marketplace – are lead-free , and using an oilbased stain to seal in arsenic , which may be present in decks .

On the consumption of fish , a subject to which there have been many oftenconflicting recommendations in recent years, Toal said that the current federal and state recommendations for fish consumption reflect the latest research and thinking . At issue are primarily pregnant women , because they are most sensitive to exposure to mercury . “ Pregnant women should eat fish because fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids , which are good for development . The question is fish that have high levels of fatty acids versus fish that have high levels of contamination , ” he said .

Toal said that fish at the higher end of the food-chain , such as swordfish and shark , should not be eaten by pregnant women or children , and should be eaten sparingly by others because of the risk that they may contain high levels of mercury .

For pregnant women , Toal suggests no more than one meal a week of white tuna and no more than two meals a week of light tuna .

Jean Hopkins , of Vernon , and a member of the Friends of the Rockville Public Library , said that the Friends sponsor a speaker on the first Thursday of every month on different topics . “ I enjoyed the speaker today very much , and I was glad to hear him mention moderation . Instead of trying to scare us , he was reassuring , ” she said .

“ I thought that he was very informative and had a lot of knowledge in a lot of different areas , ” agreed Dot Anderson , who , along with Bobbi Orne , are the program co-chairs of the Friends of the Library . Anderson said that she tries to organize programs on a wide range of subjects that might interest the nearly 300 members of the group .

More information about Toal’s book can be found online at the Web site www . whatstoxic . com .