The Toxin Exposure Assessment is a self-assessment screening tool. It gives you a relative picture of where your daily chemical exposure is highest based on your reported habits. It is not a clinical measurement, and it does not predict health outcomes.
Here is exactly how it works, what the score means, and where the approach comes from.
How the scoring works
The assessment covers ten exposure categories: cookware, drinking water, food storage, cleaning products, diet, clothing, water bottle, personal care products, sleep environment, and air quality.
Each category is weighted differently. Not all exposure sources contribute equally to what researchers call “body burden,” the total accumulation of synthetic chemicals in the body at any given time. Drinking unfiltered water every day is a meaningfully higher exposure source than the fabric of your clothes. The scoring reflects that difference.
The weights are based on the relative contribution of each source to measurable body burden, as documented in EPA and CDC biomonitoring research, peer-reviewed environmental health literature, and regulatory assessments from the FDA. The sources that informed each weight:
Drinking water carries the highest weight. Primary sources: EPA PFAS drinking water regulations; CDC National Biomonitoring Program data on PFAS, heavy metals, and disinfection byproducts in U.S. populations.
Diet and food quality carries equal weight to water. Primary sources: USDA Pesticide Data Program annual residue reports; Curl et al. 2003, Environmental Health Perspectives, on urinary pesticide metabolites in conventional versus organic food consumers.
Cookware is weighted for direct food contact during cooking. Primary sources: Schaider et al. 2017, Environmental Science and Technology Letters, on PFAS migration from non-stick cookware; Begley et al. 2005 on PTFE degradation.
Personal care products are weighted for daily dermal absorption. Primary source: Koniecki et al. 2011, Environment International, on phthalate exposure through personal care products.
Sleep environment is weighted for sustained overnight contact. Primary sources: Callesen et al. 2014, Environment International, on flame retardant exposure from polyurethane foam; Stapleton et al. 2012, Environmental Science and Technology, on PBDE body burden from bedding and foam materials.
Cleaning products, food storage, and air quality carry moderate weight based on VOC inhalation and plasticizer leaching data from EPA Indoor Air Quality research and FDA food contact material assessments.
Clothing and water bottles carry lower weight, consistent with research on microfiber and microplastic shedding as a lower-magnitude exposure route relative to ingestion and dermal absorption.
What the score means
Scores fall between 10 and 34. The bands reflect approximate relative load:
- 10 to 17. Lower overall exposure. Your habits are already well-aligned. There are still areas worth optimizing.
- 18 to 26. Moderate exposure. Clear priority areas exist where targeted changes have meaningful impact.
- 27 to 34. Elevated exposure. Multiple high-weight categories are contributing to your daily load. Starting with the top three priorities makes the most practical difference.
The score is not a toxicology measurement. It does not tell you what is in your blood, your tissue, or your home. It tells you where your reported habits are most likely contributing to your overall exposure relative to the ten categories assessed.
It is not a medical assessment. It does not diagnose illness, predict disease risk, or replace the advice of a physician or licensed health professional.
It does not measure every source of toxin exposure. EMF, outdoor air quality, occupational exposure, and other factors are not included. This makes it a partial picture, not a complete one.
It relies on self-reported answers. The accuracy of the score depends on the accuracy of your responses.
Questions about the methodology, corrections, or discussion of your results: hello [at] zerotoxins.com.