I Tested My Home for the Top Toxins. Here Are the 3 Biggest Things I Learned

I recently had someone come and test my house for the top toxins that can impact health. Let me tell you why. 

Over the last two years, I’ve had two major life events happen that really made me pay attention to my environment: 

1) I had elevated autoimmune markers show up out of the blue.

2) My wife and I had a baby boy.

Nothing like thinking about your own health and the health of your family to really make you dig into your environment. 

But here’s the challenge: I’ve had my home tested by “experts” before, and they always make crazy claims or offer unsustainable changes like “never turn your Wi-Fi on at home.” 

I wanted someone I could trust to offer evidence-based, realistic advice. 

So I was excited when my friend recommended Lightwork Home Health, which he recently used to test his own home in London. 

Here’s what they tested:

• Lighting (is the lighting in your home supporting your circadian rhythm?)

• Air quality (including mold)

• Water quality

• EMF (electromagnetic frequencies) and voltage 

Let’s get into the results.

1. We discovered a possible explanation for an ongoing health mystery!

I suspected we had mold in our home for a few reasons: I've previously tested positive for mycotoxins and mold exposure through functional medicine testing, and I have dealt with recurring eczema on my hands.

We had already performed mold testing before moving in and thought we were in the clear! 

But my functional medicine doctor was adamant that I test again because there was clearly mold exposure coming from somewhere. 

And he was right.

Lightwork's testing suggested there may still be an active indoor mold source worth investigating further. Their inspection pointed toward hidden moisture around our HVAC system and the master bathroom as possible contributors, recommending a dedicated mold inspection rather than guessing.

They let us know that our HVAC filter was actually too efficient. Because it created more resistance, it may have been increasing moisture inside the system, creating an environment where mold could grow. 

Our takeaway from this is that we need to use the right filter for our HVAC, which I shared more about before.

2. My son's room needed some attention

As a parent, it's easy to spiral. You hear social media telling you that your baby monitor is ruining your child's health, and suddenly you're wondering if you've made terrible decisions.

The testing found something much more practical.

Most of the electrical field exposure in my son’s room came from three things:

• The crib being directly against the wall

• The baby monitor being too close to his bed

• An ungrounded power strip near the crib

• The positioning of our Wi-Fi router in the home 

Simply moving the crib about two feet away from the wall dramatically reduced exposure. Moving the monitor farther from the crib made another meaningful difference. We also put an evidence-based Wi-Fi shield around our router. It worked so well that our Wi-Fi got weaker. If that’s the case for you, they recommend cutting a small hole in the shield.

I appreciate that they didn’t add unnecessary stress to our long list of concerns as parents. Instead, it was just simple, mostly free changes. 

What wasn’t a problem (and why our investments paid off)

Sometimes the most valuable finding is learning what isn't a problem.

I was pretty convinced prior to Lightwork coming that there were going to be major problems in our home—things like EMF exposure from a nearby cell phone tower and air and water quality issues because of the LA wildfires last year. 

Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find that all of the precautionary things we did to protect our home were working really well. 

Here are the changes we have made over the years that have made the biggest difference: 

Use a reverse osmosis water filter: I have been using a reverse osmosis water filter for the past decade that the report showed was excellent at filtering out major contaminants. Lightwork tested for over 100 contaminants, including heavy metals, disinfection byproducts, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and chromium, and my water quality came back as optimal. 

Run our HEPA air filters constantly: The HEPA air filters I invested in long ago were putting in overtime. My indoor particulate levels were actually better than the outdoor air, which is not always the case. Staying on top of changing the filters and running them constantly (even though it can drive up the electric bill a little bit) made our air quality pretty solid. 

Be intentional about what kind of light we use at night: All of the recommendations that Lightwork had for our lighting were things we had already implemented. We turn off all overhead lights as the sun sets and only use lamps or red lights. We save bright lights for morning and low lights for night. Lightwork confirmed that these small shifts support our natural circadian rhythm. 

If you’re like me and you’ve invested in tools like better lighting, water filters, and air filters to support your health, know that they are so worth it. 

If you’re interested in home testing:

What I appreciated most was how practical and nuanced Lightwork and their team were. They really emphasized the things that matter, and they didn’t fear-monger at all. They were practical and helpful. Here’s what you get with Lightwork: 

• What matters and what doesn’t: It turns out some of the things I was worried about weren't problems at all. Instead, some small and hidden issues that I didn’t even think about needed to be addressed: elevated EMF exposure and the HVAC system.
  

• Air, water, mold, and electricity: I’ve never seen a company be as comprehensive with testing as Lightwork.
  

• Simple and affordable fixes: They didn’t scare us by saying we had to move because of a cell phone tower or try to sell us on expensive gadgets.
  

• A detailed report of their findings: They are super transparent about everything, including what they found and what they recommend, and they put it together in a detailed report for you, which is awesome. 

If you're curious how healthy your own home actually is, you can learn more about Lightwork Home Health here. They test homes all around the world.

Much love,
Dhru Purohit

P.S. In case you missed it, I did a whole podcast with Dom from Lightwork about the results in my home. Listen here.

P.S.S. Quick note: some links in this newsletter are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Partnerships like this are what keep this newsletter and the podcast free for you. And I only share companies I've personally used and vetted. After seeing what they found in my own home, this one was an easy yes. You can also grab their free Lightwork Blueprint: 40 Action Steps for a Healthy Home PDF here.

The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice; please consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions.