Episode description

How much do you know about the chemicals you're exposed to through every-day things like cosmetics and skincare, clothing or even food packaging, and food itself? How about what chemicals might be contaminating air, soil and water from industrial processes? Do you ever even think about it? We often presume governments and companies will protect from harmful substances, but history is full of examples where the advice over what's safe and what's not changes over time (from asbestos to cigarettes to talc) - the science moves on, new studies are published and one day something everyone presumed was just fine turns out to have grim consequences. Can anyone really say what levels of chemicals with potentially harmful healthy effects are definitively safe for people, animals and the environment, given the variables involved?

Andrea Rudolph is a sustainability pioneer, and a much-loved Danish cultural force. A former TV and radio presenter, she started her organic skincare company Rudolph Care back in 2009, after taking part in a Greenpeace activation that tested the blood of eight Danish volunteers for chemicals present. What Andrea discovered rocked her world, and changed the path of her career.

Now she’s on a mission to raise awareness about toxic PFAS. Andrea wants to see “forever chemicals” banned from consumer products, and to stop any more of them from building up in our environment. This is also the story of one woman’s battle with breast cancer, the power of Nature and how life gets even more precious when you fear losing it. A heart-felt and ultimately hopeful interview, about activism, vulnerability and what really matters. Andrea's message to the consumers: We can change things - but first we have to know what we're dealing with.

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