HOUSEHOLD: The Hazards of Household Cleaning Products

[Guest guest]

HOUSEHOLD: The Hazards of Household Cleaning Products (HEALTH, ACTION ALERT!)

"Bug spray can remain active and airborne in your home for up to 30 years."

 

The Hazards of Household Cleaning Products

by Janice Hughes - Share Guide Publisher

What cleaning products do you use in your home? Are they safe for the

environment? Do they pose health risks? What happens if a child

accidentally drinks some? The answers to these and other questions may

surprise you.

Many of us use toxic chemicals in everyday life. Sometimes we are aware

of it, sometimes not. Many actions which appear to be harmless actually

involve the use of harmful chemicals. Household cleaners, garden

pesticides, paints, batteries, detergents, even flea powders can be

hazardous to our health and the environment.

Detergents, degreasers, stain removers and pesticides have made our

homes miniature chemical factories. Hazardous chemicals endanger the

environment by contaminating our groundwater, lakes and oceans. If these

hazardous products in the home are ingested, absorbed through the skin

or inhaled they can cause illness that may only appear years later.

One of the biggest culprits in ocean pollution is phosphates, common in

laundry detergents and some cleaning products. The average consumer

nationwide uses about 30 pounds of laundry detergent a year; all

together, Americans use about 8.3 billion pounds of dry detergent and a

billion gallons of liquid detergent each year! High phosphate levels can

kill life in rivers, streams and oceans by causing "algae blooms." Algae

slimes dense enough to suffocate marine life have been swelling around

the world, especially in coastal bays. They are largely caused by

fertilizing pollutants called "nutrients" in human sewage and farm runoff.

Some marine experts call this type of ocean pollution a silent, global

epidemic that if unabated could destroy American's most scenic and

commercially valuable waters. From Long Island Sound to the Santa Monica

Bay, nutrients have devastated many popular fishing spots and shellfish

beds. Many coastal bays have turned the hue of pea soup, and some have

regressed to "dead zones"--water so depleted of oxygen that only

primitive creatures such as bacteria and algae can survive.

Some progress has been made in tackling this problem. Phosphates have

been banned in many areas. But some supermarket varieties still contain

them. In addition, many other household cleaning products contain

harmful solvents and harsh chemicals that destroy the natural processes

involved in wastewater treatment. In addition, hazardous waste products

should not be disposed of in a septic system. These materials kill

valuable bacteria in the system. This includes even small amounts of

latex paint rinsed off of rollers and brushes.

Many of us tend to think anything sold in a supermarket must be safe,

but often labels do not contain complete and accurate information. Many

common household cleaning products are actually classified as hazardous

waste! You should not dispose of them in the trash; please take them to

your county's hazardous waste collection center.

There is another side to this issue besides the pollution of our

environment--our health, and the safety of our children. Chemical levels

can be up to 70 times higher inside the home that out. Over 100

chemicals commonly found in homes have been linked to allergies, birth

defects, cancer, psychological abnormalities, skin reactions, headaches,

depression, joint pain, chronic fatigue, chest pains, dizziness, loss of

sleep, asthma... the list goes on. Housewives have a 55% higher risk of

getting cancer than do women working outside the home. This most likely

has to do with the products they use on a daily basis. Nervous disorders

and respiratory problems have also been linked to hazardous substances

in the home.

Every year thousands of household poisonings are reported. Many are

fatal. Approximately 70% of all poisoning accidents occur in children

between the ages of one and five. Almost all childhood poisonings are

caused by unsafe storage and handling of household cleaning products and

medicines. According to Poison Control, dishwashing detergent accounts

for more accidental poisonings than any other household substance.

Dandruff shampoo, if swallowed, causes vital organs to degenerate.

Household ammonia, when mixed with bleach is a deadly substance. Bug

spray can remain active and airborne in your home for up to 30 years.

Seniors are also at risk. With increasing age, people become more

vulnerable to the harmful effects of environmental chemicals due to the

deterioration of physiological and biochemical processes, which include

certain age-related biochemical, morphological and functional changes

associated with the nervous system. For example, the elderly are likely

to suffer more than younger people from exposure to carbon disulfide and

to certain pesticides and chemicals.

The most common ingredients in household cleaning products include

alkalies, acids, detergents, other toxic chemicals. Alkalies are soluble

salts that are effective in removing dirt without excessive rubbing.

Alkalies vary in strength; the stronger one cause burns, and if

swallowed can cause internal injuries and even death. Acids are

beneficial in removing hard-water deposits, discoloration and rust

stains. Acids can irritate and injure the skin and eyes. Oxalic acid,

used in some toilet bowl cleaners, is extremely poisonous.

Caustic household cleaners can cause severe burning if swallowed or put

on the skin, Symptoms of poisoning include redness around the mouth,

drooling and difficulty in swallowing. Never make someone who has

swallowed a caustic substance vomit or give a "neutralizing" agent, as

the chemical reaction can cause further burning.) It is best to give

water (about a cupful) and seek emergency advice from poison control.

Many of the chemicals found in our homes are used to make our lives

easier. But we don't realize the consequences of using many of these

substances. Think before you pour waste down the sink. Only natural

substances should be disposed in our sewer systems. Be wary and read

labels. And whenever possible, use alternative non-toxic products that

will curtail the destruction of the environment.

***

from another group...

 

"A clean house is a sign of a misspent life"

 

 

 

 

--

 

 

Version: 7.1.371 / Virus Database: 267.13.12/193 - Release 12/6/2005