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Household toxin exposure estimator

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Answer 18 quick questions about your water, home, food, products and work. You’ll get an educational profile of which everyday exposures are more likely for you across six groups: heavy metals, plastic chemicals, PFAS, mold and mycotoxins, pesticides, and VOCs. Each result comes with its reasoning, sources and practical ways to cut exposure.

Take the estimator

Educational, not medical advice. This tool estimates likely exposure from your habits and surroundings. It does not measure anything in your body, diagnose any condition, or predict health effects. Your answers stay in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.

All questions are required except the work and hobby question, where you can tick none.

How the scoring works

Each answer adds 0 to 3 points to one or more of six exposure groups. We only add points where a public-health agency or peer-reviewed study links that habit or setting to the exposure; the numbered sources are listed below. Points per group are summed and banded: 0–1 Lower, 2–3 Moderate, 4+ Higher likely exposure. The meter shows the score out of 8. The weights are our editorial judgement, not a validated clinical or epidemiological score: only the direction of each link is sourced.

The six groups mirror the marker categories we test: heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic), plastic chemicals (BPA, phthalates, parabens), PFAS (“forever chemicals”), mold and mycotoxins, pesticides and herbicides, and VOCs such as benzene.

The 18 questions cover your drinking water, nearby industrial or waste sites, the age of your home, fish and rice, heating food in plastic, canned and takeaway food, personal-care products, water-repellent and stain-resistant products, damp and humidity, grains and other mold-prone foods, organic produce, tobacco smoke, recent renovation, and work or hobbies.

Method notes. “Plastic chemicals” means chemicals such as BPA, phthalates and parabens, not microplastic particles. Mercury from fish (methylmercury) and from other sources are different forms, and urine tests cannot tell these forms apart.

About this estimator

This estimator is for general education only. It is not medical advice, does not diagnose, treat or prevent any disease, and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified health professional. If you have symptoms or a known exposure, talk to your doctor or local health department.

The estimator runs entirely in your browser. It has no sign-up or email field, makes no network requests with your answers, and does not store them in cookies or local storage. Reloading the page clears your answers.

For where household VOCs come from and how California limits them, see household VOC sources and California’s limits.

Cite or link to this tool

You are welcome to cite, quote or link to this page. Please also cite the original source for any individual figure.

APA style: Intrinsic Prism. (2026, October 24). Household toxin exposure estimator. Intrinsic Prism. https://intrinsicprism.com/tools/household-toxin-exposure-estimator

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Frequently asked questions

Is this a medical test?

No. It estimates likely exposure from your answers about water, home, food, products and work. It does not measure anything in your body or diagnose any condition.

How is the score calculated?

Each answer adds 0 to 3 points to one or more exposure groups where a public-health agency or peer-reviewed study links that habit or setting to the exposure. Points are banded as Lower (0–1), Moderate (2–3) or Higher (4+). The weights are editorial, not a validated clinical score.

Does ‘Lower’ mean I have no exposure?

No. Some exposures are nearly universal: ATSDR says nearly all people in the US have measurable PFAS in their blood, and CDC’s national survey found BPA in 92.6% of people tested.

Are my answers saved?

No. The quiz runs entirely in your browser and does not send or store your answers.

Does ‘plastic chemicals’ mean microplastics?

Not exactly. Plastic chemicals are substances such as BPA, phthalates and parabens that leach from plastics and products. Microplastics are tiny particles. They are measured differently.

Sources

Last updated: October 24, 2026. Prepared by Intrinsic Prism. Each figure links to the primary source it came from; every source was fetched and each claim checked against it on October 24, 2026. This page is general information, not medical advice.

  1. [1] EPA: Private Drinking Water WellsU.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Private wells are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act; around 15% of the US population relies on them. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  2. [2] WHO: Arsenic fact sheetWorld Health Organization, December 7, 2022. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  3. [3] EPA: Reduce the Risk of Lead Exposure at HomeU.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  4. [4] FDA: Advice about Eating Fish (Best Choices, Good Choices and Choices to Avoid)U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  5. [5] EPA: Health Effects of Exposures to MercuryU.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  6. [6] WHO: Lead poisoning fact sheetWorld Health Organization. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  7. [7] USGS: Tap water study detects PFAS “forever chemicals” across the USU.S. Geological Survey news release, July 5, 2023. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  8. [8] ATSDR (CDC): Clinical Evaluation and Management: PFAS Information for CliniciansAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  9. [9] EPA: Meaningful and Achievable Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Risk (PFAS)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  10. [10] Cox et al. (2019). Human consumption of microplastics (Environmental Science & Technology; PubMed abstract)Peer-reviewed journal article, 2019. Modelled estimate. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  11. [11] Qian et al. (2024). Rapid single-particle chemical imaging of nanoplastics by SRS microscopy (PNAS; PubMed abstract)Peer-reviewed journal article, 2024. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  12. [12] Hussain et al. (2023). Assessing the release of microplastics and nanoplastics from plastic containers and reusable food pouches (Environmental Science & Technology; PubMed abstract)Peer-reviewed journal article, 2023. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  13. [13] NIEHS: Bisphenol A (BPA)National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  14. [14] Rudel et al. (2011). Food packaging and bisphenol A and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exposure: findings from a dietary intervention (Environmental Health Perspectives; PubMed abstract)Peer-reviewed journal article, 2011. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  15. [15] Harley et al. (2016). Reducing phthalate, paraben, and phenol exposure from personal care products in adolescent girls: the HERMOSA intervention study (Environmental Health Perspectives)Peer-reviewed journal article, 2016. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  16. [16] CDC: About Mold and Your HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, September 26, 2024. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  17. [17] EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your HomeU.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  18. [18] Mendell et al. (2011). Respiratory and allergic health effects of dampness, mold, and dampness-related agents: a review of the epidemiologic evidence (Environmental Health Perspectives)Peer-reviewed journal article, 2011. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  19. [19] WHO: Mycotoxins fact sheetWorld Health Organization. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  20. [20] Turner et al. (2008). Urinary deoxynivalenol is correlated with cereal intake in individuals from the United Kingdom (Environmental Health Perspectives)Peer-reviewed journal article, 2008. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  21. [21] Fagan et al. (2020). Organic diet intervention significantly reduces urinary glyphosate levels in U.S. children and adults (Environmental Research; PubMed abstract)Peer-reviewed journal article, 2020. Four families, 16 participants. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  22. [22] CDC: Benzene (Chemical Emergencies fact sheet)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  23. [23] IARC (WHO): IARC Monographs evaluate the carcinogenicity of occupational exposure as a firefighterInternational Agency for Research on Cancer, 2022. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  24. [24] ATSDR (CDC): Testing for PFASAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  25. [25] FDA: Arsenic in Food and Dietary SupplementsU.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  26. [26] EPA: Report on the Environment, Indoor Air QualityU.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  27. [27] Calafat et al. (2008). Exposure of the U.S. population to bisphenol A and 4-tertiary-octylphenol: 2003 to 2004 (Environmental Health Perspectives)Peer-reviewed journal article, 2008. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  28. [28] FDA: Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact ApplicationsU.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  29. [29] ATSDR (CDC): About PFASAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.
  30. [30] EPA: Volatile Organic Compounds’ Impact on Indoor Air QualityU.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fetched and checked October 24, 2026.