• Buy USDA-certified organic vegetables, fish, and meats.
  
  Organic production does not permit the use of pesticides, which reduces the possibility that the food has pesticide residues.

• Reduce consumption of meat, dairy products, and fatty or predatory fish.
  
  POPs accumulate in animal fats, and levels are usually higher in these foods. Safer fish choices are available by consulting local fish advisories before buying. For more information, see our Safe Fish List.

• When you eat meat and fish, remove as much fat and skin as possible.
  
  The fat and skin are where POPs concentrate. Broiling allows fats to drip away from the food. What Shouldn't Be There: Contaminants in Children's Food has more information on avoiding chemicals in food.

• Buy locally grown produce.
  
  A number of POPs, such as DDT and dieldrin, are banned in the U.S. If you buy from local farmers, at farmers markets, through Community Supported Agriculture, and food cooperatives, you'll know where your food was grown and that no pesticides banned in the U.S. were used. Resources for these kinds of markets are available in Where to Find Organic Foods.

• Avoid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, also called vinyl.
  
  The production and incineration of PVC creates dioxins. PVC plastic containers can be identified because they are marked with the recycling symbol 3 or the letters "PVC".

• Buy unbleached or chlorine-free paper products and certified organic cotton clothes and bedding.
  
  The chlorine bleaching of paper and textiles is a major source of dioxin.

• Test your water and filter if necessary.
  
  Drinking water can contain lead from old pipes or bacteria, which can cause health problems. Filters go a long way towards correcting these problems.

• Choose wetcleaners instead of conventional dry cleaners.
  
  For professional cleaning of clothes, rugs, bedspreads and curtains, avoid dry cleaners. Wetcleaners don't use perchloroethylene or other toxic solvents.

• Avoid lice shampoos that contain lindane.
  
  The POP lindane is an ingredient in some prescription lice shampoos. See Nit-Picking for alternatives.

• Help eliminate POPs worldwide.
  
  Join the international campaign to remove POPs from our environment. Find out how at Persistant Organic Pollutants: Chemicals That Won't Go Away and Hurt Us All. You can also download a copy of the Stockholm Convention.

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