FYI on Cleaning Products

[Guest guest]

NEW REPORT REVEALS LINKS BETWEEN CHEMICALS IN CLEANING PRODUCTS TO ASTHMA

AND REPRODUCTIVE PROBLEMS

Findings Support Massachusetts Bill for Safe Cleaning Products to Reduce

Asthma

_http://www.osm-inc.com/july24.html_ (http://www.osm-inc.com/july24.html)

 

BOSTON—A new report ‘Household Hazards: Potential Hazards of Home Cleaning

Products’ released today points to mounting evidence that links exposure to

chemicals in cleaning products to a rise in health problems, particularly

asthma and reproductive harm. The national women’s environmental health group

Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) authored this report to highlight the

pervasiveness of these health concerns associated with household cleaning

products,

and the need for companies to label their products with a list of currently “

hidden ingredients†which pose potential risks to human health. The

report’s

findings support the proponents of Massachusetts’ Safe Cleaning Products

bill (H-2246, S-2201), which would require environmentally safe alternatives to

harmful cleaning products in public buildings in an effort to reduce asthma

rates and their associated costs. A hearing before the Joint Committee on

Public Health on the bill will be held tomorrow, July 25 at the State Capitol

Building.

 

The Safe Cleaning Products Bill would reduce asthma and other health threats

by requiring that only cleaning products approved by the Department of

Public Health be used in public schools, hospitals health care facilities, day

care centers and public housing common spaces. The July 25 hearing will be an

opportunity for public health experts and advocates such as Alliance for a

Healthy Tomorrow to testify before the Committee on Public Health, after which

legislators will determine which components of the bill will be put forth for

a vote by the Massachusetts state legislature. The bill sponsors are

Representative Frank Smizik (D-Brookline) and Senator Dianne Wilkerson

(D-Boston).

For a list of Massachusetts’ current regulations on cleaning products, go to

_www.womenandenvironment.org_ (http://www.womenandenvironment.org) .

 

“This report further corroborates the science we’ve reviewed that shows a

clear reason to take caution when using cleaning chemicals, especially due to

the rising rates of asthma among our school children,†said Leise Jones

spokeswoman for the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, a Massachusetts coalition

of

over 150 organizations. “When there are safer alternatives out there, it only

makes common sense for Massachusetts public schools and buildings to use

them, to ensure a healthier future for our children.â€

 

Authors of the report ‘Household Hazards’ sent a letter to 23 major

manufacturers of cleaning products including Proctor & Gamble and S.C. Johnson,

(for

full list, please see: _www.womenandenvironment.org_

(http://www.womenandenvironment.org) ) requesting full disclosure of chemicals

of concern to

consumers through product labels. None have responded with a willingness to

list

these particularly harmful chemicals on its product labels. In the letter WVE

states that “individuals affected by conditions such as asthma or allergies

often look to avoid substances that may trigger or exacerbate their symptoms.

Similarly, women who are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, take extra

precautions to avoid exposures that may impact the development of their child.

Individuals with chemical sensitivities or various other diseases are also

concerned about controlling their exposures to certain substances.â€

 

Some companies have said that they cannot list ingredients due to the risk

of divulging trade secrets to their competitors. WVE has stated that food

companies have to label ingredients despite their need to protect " secret

recipes,

†and this system works quite well in alerting shoppers ingredients they

wish to avoid, for allergy reasons or otherwise. The group also notes that if

company competitors wanted to steal a formula, they could always take it to a

laboratory and determine its ingredients, with much greater accuracy than they

would get off an ingredients label. “The public good from making this

information readily available clearly outweighs the risk to the company,â€

says

Alexandra Gorman, Director of Science and Research at WVE.

 

The report ‘Household Hazards’ points to several studies that reveal a

higher incidence of asthma in populations, such as janitorial workers, who have

high exposure to certain cleaning chemicals. It was also found that frequent

use of certain chemicals in household products is associated with persistent

wheezing among pre-school children, and increases the likelihood of asthma

among children. An estimated 9 million children (12.5% of children) aged 18 or

less living in the U.S. have had asthma diagnosed at some time in their lives.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, asthma affects 20 million

people in the U.S. and is the most common serious chronic childhood disease.

 

The report found that the presence of these chemicals in our daily lives is

more pervasive than previously thought, and that children are

disproportionately impacted by cleaning chemicals, both at home and at school,

being more

vulnerable due to underdeveloped immune systems. Infants’ exposure can be

particularly high because they crawl on the ground, frequently putting their

hands

in their mouths,transferring chemicals from floor and carpet finishes and

cleaners directly into their bodies. Women are also receiving more chemical

exposure than men, since they are still doing over 70% of the housework in the

average home. The more time women spend at home, the higher their exposure to

potentially hazardous cleaning chemicals, such as monoethanolamine (MEA),

glycol ethers and benzalkonium Chloride.

 

“Food manufacturers have to list ingredients, so why shouldn’t cleaning

product manufacturers? These chemicals also go into our body via our skin and

our lungs. The Made in the USA label is not enough to give us confidence that

our children’s health is being protected. The standards for full disclosure

of

ingredients should be the same, whether a product is made in the U.S. or is

made in China,†said Gorman, referring to scandals around toothpaste, pet

food and other products made in China. State, county and city governments have

paid increasing attention to this issue, and many have developed purchasing

regulations for use in public buildings, which specify changes to milder

cleaning products for daily maintenance and avoiding products that are

flammable,

corrosive or highly toxic. A list of government regulations and guidelines can

be found here. Many consumers are already taking action to prevent

overexposure to potentially toxic chemicals in their home. Some of the tips

offered in

the report include avoiding products that contain these chemicals of

concern, using fewer products, buying products that disclose their ingredients,

and

never mixing products.

 

The release of ‘Household Hazards’ signifies the launch of a new national

initiative by Women’s Voices for the Earth to tackle the rising incidence of

chronic diseases among women and children linked with exposure to chemicals in

consumer products. WVE’s campaign will call on major manufacturers of common

household cleaning products to help protect public health by disclosing and

ultimately removing hazardous ingredients from their products. To download a

copy of the report, please visit _www.womenandenvironment.org_

(http://www.womenandenvironment.org) on July 24. To receive a contact list of

scientists

who have reviewed the report, organizations working to “green†the cleaning

products industry, and concerned mothers, housecleaners and others in

different states across the country, please contact Alexandra Gorman at

Women’s

Voices for the Earth, 406-396-1639, _alex_

(alex) .

 

 

EMBARGOED UNTIL:

July 24, 2007 12:01 EST

 

CONTACT:

Alexandra Gorman, Women’s Voices for the Earth,

406-396-1639 (cell),

_alex_ (alex)

Leise Jones, Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow,

617-338-8131, _ljones_ (ljones)