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The Oprah Winfrey show investigates with Kelly Preston the dangers of
household cleaning products. http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_2002/tows_past_20020531_c.jhtml
Olivia Newton-John and Kelly Preston shed light on why childhood cancer
rates have increased 10.8% in the past decade.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-11-08-chec.htm
Preventing harm
www.preventingharm.org/index.html
MSNBC
Our Bodies, Our Landfills ?
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3076636/
PBS
www.pbs.org/tradesecrets/
http://www.herc.org
Material Safety Data Sheets for Common Household Products
http://www.herc.org/library/msds.htm. Be sure to check out Formula 409, it has the following warning....Health Haz Acute And Chronic: EYES: IRRITATION. SKIN: ABSORBED. EXPOSURE TO ETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOBUTYL ETHER WILL CAUSE BLOOD & BONE MARROW DAMAGE.
We should be protecting our skin and definitely not inhaling this stuff...are you taking precautions when using these products ? I wasn’t!
Formaldehyde Warning
http://www.birthdefects.org/abstracts/formaldehyde.html
Study done by
http://www.bodyburden.org/
Study says many use chemicals linked to fertility problems.
By: Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer
A type of glycol ether is frequently found in popular cleaning products such as Windex Aerosol, Formula 409, Lemon Fresh Pine-Sol and Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner, says the report released today by Women's Voices for the Earth, a Montana-based nonprofit working to eliminate or reduce toxic chemicals in the home. The chemical, called ethylene glycol butyl ether or EGBE, is on
It's difficult for consumers to know whether their favorite cleaner contains the chemical because manufacturers aren't required to list it on the label. Neither the state nor the federal government regulates indoor air pollution, for instance how the cleaners might degrade air inside a home. "These are products that women are using in their households on a daily basis, and they use them around their children," said Alexandra Gorman, the group's director of science and research and an author of the report. The group wants to help people become aware of chemicals they might want to avoid.
Scientists say most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Babies, elderly people and sick people spend almost all of their time inside.
The women's research group pored through federally mandated Material Safety Data Sheets pertaining to household cleaning products. The data sheets, which are prepared by the manufacturers and are widely available online, contain information on chemicals used in products. The group found that EGBE, also known as 2-butoxyethanol, was a common ingredient. It's a colorless, biodegradable chemical with a fruity odor that acts as a degreaser.
The researchers found about 50 products containing varied amounts of the chemical. Some manufacturers, like Sunshine Makers Inc., which makes the Simple Green brand, didn't report how much of the chemical is used in its products. Sunshine Makers, based in
Brian Sansoni, a spokesman for the Soap and Detergent Association, an industry trade group, responded to criticisms of the use of EGBE in household cleaners. "There is no need to play 'Fear Factor' here. This ingredient usage in cleaning products is not known to be of concern for consumers who use these products as directed," Sansoni said. Members of his group include Clorox Co. and S.C. Johnson, which manufacture Formula 409, Pine-Sol and Windex Aerosol -- the only Windex formulation to contain EGBE, according to the data. The federal government removed EGBE from its list of hazardous air pollutants a few years ago, Sansoni noted.
Andrew Jacques, a spokesman for the American Chemistry Council, which represents the manufacturers of the chemical, said his group believes the several recent EPA reviews of EGBE "indicate its low toxicity to humans and the environment." The EPA maintains a safety guideline for chronic inhalation exposure. The guideline is just that, not a regulatory limit but a guide for health officials. Jacques also said EGBE is a key ingredient in many cleaners and helps cut the amount of volatile organic compounds in a cleaning product. Such organic compounds can cause other types of air pollution, including smog.
Some academicians and government scientists believe that there should be a reduction in toxic chemicals used in the home.
William Nazaroff, a professor of environmental engineering and chairman of the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley, said the EPA erred when it removed the chemical from the hazardous air pollutants list. Nazaroff conducted a study for the California Air Resources Board in 2006 on the indoor air chemistry of cleaning agents and toxic air contaminants. He found that people using some common products containing EGBE could be exposed to levels 12 times greater than
Generally, some of the people who have the most exposure to the chemicals are janitors and maids.
Some of those workers are represented by the Service Employees International Union. Ahmad Abozayd, vice president of SEIU's Local 87 in
State officials are also looking at the chemicals. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control has launched a Green Chemistry Initiative to get away from old-style toxic products. The initiative's purpose is to protect public health and the environment through the design of less-toxic products.
Some Facts About
Toxic Cleaning Chemicals
By: Glenn Beach
Reprinted from ArticleCity.com
The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) has recorded many exposures to household cleaning substances that were serious enough to require treatment in a health care facility. Incredibly, according to the AAPCC the largest number of poisonings in 1993 were due to cleaning products - drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, bleach, soaps and detergents. Our pets are also at risk. Animals that don't have access to clean, fresh water are more likely to drink out of puddles, gutters, toilet bowls, or any old container left sitting around with a liquid in it. Even though my cats always have access to clean water in a bowl, they seem to prefer the toilet, the sink, the bathtub, or even a basin with cleaning solution in it.
Here is an alphabetical list of some of the
most hazardous cleansers found around the house:
Interfere with your ability to smell by releasing nerve-deadening agents or coating nasal passages with an oil film, usually methoxychlor, a pesticide that accumulates in fat cells. Known toxic chemicals found in an air freshener are formaldehyde, a highly toxic, known carcinogen, and phenol. When phenol touches your skin it can cause it to swell, burn, peel, and break out in hives.
A very volatile chemical and is very damaging to your eyes, respiratory tract and skin.
May contain triclosan, which is absorbed through the skin and can be tied to liver damage.
A strong corrosive. It will irritate or burn the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. It may cause pulmonary edema or vomiting and coma if ingested. Never mix bleach with acid toilet bowl cleaners or ammonia. These mixtures may produce fumes which can be DEADLY.
Most formulas are designed to over power the stain itself; they accomplish the task but not without using highly toxic substances. Some include perchlorethylene, a known carcinogen that damages liver, kidney and nervous system damage; and ammonium hydroxide, a corrosive, extremely irritable to eyes, skin and respiratory passages.
The first agent of chemical warfare was chlorine. WWII ended with an abundance of this cheap chemical. In the name of huge profits, it was added to our water supply and many other products. Chlorine is the number one cause of breast cancer and can be lethal. Scientists won't handle chlorine without protective gloves, facemasks, and ventilation, yet it is in most store-brand cleaners, including dishwasher detergents. The harmful effects are intensified when the fumes are heated, as in the shower. It ís in our drinking water, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, and more.
Most products contain chlorine in a dry form that is highly concentrated. The #1 cause of household poisoning is dish detergent. Dishwashing liquids are labeled "harmful if swallowed." Each time you wash your dishes, some residue is left on them, which accumulates with each washing. Your food picks up part of the residue -- especially if your meal is hot when you eat it.
Contains petroleum distillates, which are highly flammable and can cause skin and lung cancer. They contain nitrobenzene, which is easily absorbed through the skin and extremely toxic.
Laundry detergents contain phosphorus, enzymes, ammonia, naphthalene, phenol, sodium nitilotriacetate and countless other chemicals. These substances can cause rashes, itches, allergies, sinus problems and more. The residue left on your clothes, bed sheets, etc. is absorbed through your skin, as is everything else you touch.
One of the most toxic products people use. They contain lye and ammonia, which eat the skin, and the fumes linger and affect the respiratory system. Then there is the residue that is intensified the next time you turn your oven on. Use sea salt and baking soda instead.
Usually contain hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive irritant to both skin and eyes that damages kidneys and liver; and hypochlorite bleach, a corrosive irritant that can burn eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Toilet bowl cleaners also may cause pulmonary edema, vomiting or coma if ingested. Contact with other chemicals may cause chlorine fumes which may be fatal.
Are you one of the millions of consumers who tend to think anything sold must be safe? Think again. Since WWII more than 80,000 synthetic chemicals have been invented. Most have been created from petroleum and coal tar for the purposes of chemical warfare. The sad thing is that hardly any of these substances have been tested for safety, but have been added to our food, water and cleaning products without our consent and most often without informing us of any dangers. There is a lot of intentional suppression in this industry that adds approximately 1000 new chemicals each year.
According to the National Research Council, "no toxic information is available for more than 80% of the chemicals in everyday-use products. Less than 20% have been tested for acute effects and less than 10% have been tested for chronic, reproductive or mutagenic effects." Most have not been tested for combined or accumulated effects, nor for their effects on unborn children.
What can you do to protect your loved ones from chemical injury and poisoning?
First of all, educate yourself, and find safer alternatives as much as possible.
Secondly, minimize use of harsh chemicals. Clean spills and stains immediately, remove food waste promptly, keep home moisture/humidity down to 30-50%, and use entry way mats at all entrances.
Third, store all cleaning agents in their original containers out of the reach of children. Follow the directions on the label and use only the amount of product recommended. Read labels, follow safety precautions and contact the manufacturer if you have questions.
By definition, we clean our homes to reduce damage or harm to human and pet health, and to protect our valued possessions. Let's not make the solution worse than the problem!
BBC News
Frequent use of household cleaning products and other chemicals in the home could be linked to cases of asthma among
A new study of respiratory health among young children has shown a clear connection between breathing problems and their mothers' use of a range of common products such as bleach, paint stripper and carpet cleaners.
In the 10 per cent of families who used the chemicals most frequently, the children were twice as likely to suffer wheezing problems as the families where they were used least.
The exact chemicals involved have not been identified, but the researchers say they have established a clear link between use of chemicals in the home and wheezing in young children - which can go on to develop into asthma
The findings, published today in the journal Thorax, are based on research involving 7,019 families from the Children of the 90s project at the
The report's author, Dr Andrea Sherriff, says that other studies throughout
During the study, pregnant women were asked to report how often they used a list of chemical-based products.
The 11 most common were disinfectant (used by 87.4%), bleach (84.8%), carpet cleaner (35.8%), window cleaner (60.5%), dry cleaning fluid (5.4%), aerosols (71.7%), turpentine/white spirit (22.6%), air fresheners - spray, stick or aerosol (68%), paint stripper (5.5%) , paint or varnish (32.9%) and pesticides/insecticides (21.2%).
For each family - researchers calculated the total chemical burden according to how frequently they used each product - then they compared it with each mother's report on whether her child had experienced wheezing with whistling on his or her chest.
Upto the age of 3 ½ years, 71.2% children never wheezed, 19.1% appeared to wheeze as babies but not when they were older, 3.5 per cent developed wheezing problems after the age of 2 ½ and 6.2 per cent (432 children) had persistent wheeze throughout.
After taking into account a range of other factors - including whether the parents smoked, damp housing, and family history of asthma - the study found a significant association between the children who suffered persistent wheezing and the mother's use of these chemicals. The more frequently the chemicals were used - the higher the risk that the young child would have persistent wheezing.
Dr Sherriff said: "These findings suggest that children whose mothers made frequent use of chemical-based domestic products during pregnancy were more likely to wheeze persistently throughout early childhood, independent of many other factors.
Further research will identify whether this effect persists into later childhood and will attempt to identify the specific components responsible.
Sherriff A, Farrow A, Golding J, ALSPAC Study Team, Henderson AJ. Frequent use of chemical household products is associated with persistent wheezing in preschool-age children. Thorax 2005; 60: 45-9.
NOTES
For further information see http://www.alspac.bristol.ac.uk/
REAL LIVING Feature Article - MAY/JUNE 2005
Make-up and body care products have been linked to allergic reactions, birth defects, and even cancer. Here's what you need to know.
Suzanne Anich of
“I’m shocked that the
Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to find products that won’t endanger your health—and companies that do care about their customers’ well-being. Here’s what you need to know about the personal care products you may be using and what your alternatives are.
Regulated or Not?
Like Suzanne, many consumers may be surprised to learn that the
Instead, the safety (or not) of the ingredients in these products is looked into almost exclusively by a manufacturer-controlled safety committee called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel. Consequently, “89 percent of 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the CIR, the FDA, nor any other publicly accountable institution,” says the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG). “The absence of government oversight for this $35 billion industry leads to companies routinely marketing products with ingredients that are poorly studied, not studied at all, or worse, known to pose potentially serious health risks.”
For example, EWG found ingredients certified by the
and one of every 23 men are exposed to ingredients that are known or probable human carcinogens every day through their use of personal care products.”
Also of particular concern are the inclusion of phthalates—a group of industrial chemicals linked to birth defects that are used in many cosmetic products, from nail polish to deodorant. Phthalates are not listed as ingredients on product labels; they can only be detected through laboratory analysis. In April of this year, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC)—a coalition of environmental, social justice, and consumer groups—learned that the FDA has completed a study on the safety of phthalates in cosmetics but is refusing to release its findings. According to preliminary information uncovered by the CSC, two-thirds of health and beauty products analyzed by the FDA late last year contained phthalates. Two of the most toxic phthalates, DBP and DEHP, have been banned from cosmetics products sold in the European Union (EU) but remain unregulated in the
Another class of chemicals that’s gotten some press recently is parabens, short for “para hydroxybenzoate.” These preservatives are widely used in cosmetics, particularly nail polish. Recent studies have implicated parabens as being associated with breast cancer, though more testing is needed.
Though there isn’t always definitive evidence that a given chemical can cause adverse health affects, the fact that so few have been studied for safety is of significant concern. Plus, there’s the effect over time of all these chemicals we’re applying to our bodies to consider. The average person’s morning routine puts him/her into contact with over 100 chemicals before breakfast, according to Aubrey Hampton and Susan Hussey, founder and vice-president of marketing, respectively, of Aubrey Organics. The cumulative effect of all of the chemicals in these products can add up over time, and no one truly knows what the results are.