I read this article today, found it very disturbing and had to share (I hope you do the same). Here is a summary of the article from the EWG aka Environmental Working Group ..it is loong but I tried to highlight the important parts:
In a ground-breaking initiative to uncover the truth about
toxic chemicals in common household products, the Environmental Working Group
has unearthed compelling evidence that hundreds of cleaners, even some of those
hyped as “green” or “natural,” can inflict serious harm on unwary users. Many
present severe risks to children who may ingest or spill them or breathe their
fumes.
The first edition of the EWG Cleaners Database is due for
release in fall 2012. Already, our research has turned up products loaded with
extremely toxic compounds banned in some countries. Some of their ingredients
are known to cause cancer, blindness, asthma and other serious conditions.
Others are greenwashed, meaning that they are not, as their ad hype claims,
environmentally benign. Still more hide the facts about their formulations
behind vague terms like “fragrance.”
Greenwashing
Cleaners labeled “safe,” “non-toxic” and “green” can contain
hazardous ingredients. There should be a law against bogus claims, but there
isn’t.
Worst offenders:
Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose
Cleaner. It’s labeled “non-toxic” and “biodegradable.”
It contains:
• 2-butoxyethanol,
a solvent absorbed through the skin that damages red blood cells and irritates
eyes;
• A
secret blend of alcohol ethoxylate surfactants. Some members of this chemical
family are banned in the European Union. Worse, the company website instructs the user to dilute the
product significantly for even the heaviest cleaning tasks. Yet it comes in a
spray bottle that implies it should be sprayed full-strength. Such use would
result in higher exposures.
Banned Abroad
Spic and Span Multi-Surface and Floor Cleaner. This product
contains nonylphenol ethoxylate, which the state of California has banned in
cleaning products manufactured after 2012. Products containing this chemical
cannot be sold in the European Union. It breaks down to nonylphenol, which can
disrupt the hormone system, is toxic to aquatic life and persists in the
environment.
Scrubbing Bubbles Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner &
Extend-A-Clean Mega Shower Foamer. These products contain up to 10 percent
DEGBE, also called brotherliness, a solvent banned in the European Union at
concentrations above 3 percent in aerosol cleaners. It can irritate and inflame
the lungs.
Mop & Glo Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner. It contains
DEGME, also called methoxydiglycol, at up to 15 times the concentration allowed
in cleaners sold in the European Union. The United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe says DEGME is “suspected of damaging the unborn child.”
EASY-OFF Fume Free Oven Cleaner. This spray contains 5 to 10
percent DEGBE. The E.U. bars concentrations of DEGBE greater than 3 percent
because it can harm the lungs.
Drain cleaners that can burn and blind
Childproof packaging is just one clue that conventional
drain cleaners are extremely dangerous.
Drano Professional Strength Kitchen Crystals Clog Remover. The
label says this product can severely burn eyes and skin and cause blindness or
even death (!) Drano Kitchen Crystals may remain in the drain after use, creating
an extreme hazard. Using a plunger could cause caustic splashback. Pouring any
other product down the drain might trigger a dangerous chemical reaction. The
label warns purchasers to “keep water out of can at all times to prevent
contents from violently erupting or boiling out.” Yet unsuspecting consumers
have been known to store it under the sink.
Oven cleaners that emit toxic fumes
Conventional oven cleaners can contain substantial amounts
of sodium or potassium hydroxide,
solve crusty, baked-on gunk. These chemicals can also burn
skin, lungs and eyes.
Walmart Great Value Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner. The label
warns: “Will burn skin and eyes. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, mucous
membranes and clothing. Harmful if swallowed. Avoid inhaling spray mist. Wear
long rubber gloves while using...” We want to use this in our oven?!
CVS/pharmacy Fume-Free Oven Cleaner. Though claiming to be
“fume-free,” the label warns: “Vapor harmful... open windows and doors or use
other means to ensure fresh air entry during application and drying.” The label
says the product contains an unidentified substance “known to the state of
California to cause cancer.”
EASY-OFF Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner Aerosol Spray. The label
warns: “Warning: ...DANGER: CORROSIVE...WILL BURN EYES AND SKIN. HARMFUL IF
SWALLOWED. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, mucous membranes and clothing. DO NOT
ingest. Use only with adequate ventilation. Avoid breathing spray mist. Wear
long rubber gloves when using...”
Mystery mixtures
Ingredient labels are mandatory for food, cosmetics and
drugs – but not for cleaners. Bowing to pressure from customers and to the
threat of federal regulation, most companies list some ingredients on labels
and websites or in worker safety information. But a few companies disclose
nothing. Others may list one or a few ingredients or use vague terms like
“surfactant” or “solvent.”
Target’s Up & Up. This brand’s Toilet Bowl Cleaner and
Glass and Surface Wipes do not list any ingredients on the product packaging.
Other products sold under the Up & Up label list only one or two
ingredients or use vague terms.
Walmart’s Great Value. This store brand does not list
ingredients in its Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner and lemon-scented Furniture Polish,
despite the company’s commitment “to sell products that sustain people and the
environment.” Other items sold under the Great Value brand list few ingredients
or use general terms for them.
Spray cleaners with asthma-causing ingredients
Even though 1 in 10 U.S. children suffers from asthma, some
companies make spray cleaners that fill the air with asthmagens, meaning
ingredients that cause asthma.
Clorox, Fantastik, Febreze, Formula 409, Easy-Off, Lysol,
Mr. Clean and Spic and Span. Many of the spray cleaners sold under these brand
names are laced with quaternary ammonium compounds or ethanolamine, ingredients
classified as asthmagens by the Association of Occupational and Environmental
Clinics, a professional association of clinics and health experts.
These chemicals can trigger asthma attacks and can cause new cases of the
disease in people who are asthma-free. Ingredients classified as asthmagens
don’t belong in spray products.
100+ hidden chemicals
EWG’s 2009 state-of-the-art air pollution tests of 21 common
school cleaning products turned up a wide range of air contaminants linked to
asthma, cancer, reproductive toxicity, hormone disruption and neurotoxicity.
Some of the worst offenders are in products also commonly used in the home:
Comet Disinfectant Cleanser Powder emitted 146 different
chemicals, including some thought to cause cancer, asthma and reproductive
disorders. The most toxic chemicals detected – formaldehyde, benzene,
chloroform and toluene – are not listed on the label. Little is known about the
health risks of most of the contaminants found.
Febreze Air Effects released 89 air contaminants.
Combatting static with toxic chemicals
Dryer sheets and anti-static sprays may free clinging
fabrics and stop static sparks, but they usually do it with quaternary ammonium
compounds that can irritate lungs and cause asthma as well as allergic contact
dermatitis.
Static Guard contains the chemical DTDMAC, or ditallow
dimethyl ammonium chloride, which is so persistent in the environment that it
can’t be used as a cleaning ingredient in the European Union.
Undisclosed chemicals in the air
Air fresheners do not clean or purify the air. They merely
cover up odors by releasing undisclosed mixtures of fragrance chemicals. Common
fragrance components include chemicals that spur allergies, trigger asthma
attacks or impair reproduction.
Lysol Neutra Air Freshmatic boasts that “your home will
always smell fresh and clean” but cautions that the device should be placed “in
well-ventilated rooms away from sleeping areas.” Among the label’s warnings:
may be harmful if directly inhaled, may cause allergic reaction in some
individuals, DO NOT spray towards face or body, DO NOT get in eyes, avoid
content with skin, DO NOT spray directly onto surfaces.
Air Wick Freshmatic Compact cautions to “use in
well-ventilated rooms away from sleeping areas.”
Febreze and Glade automatic air fresheners warn, “Do not use
in small confined pet areas without adequate ventilation.”
Share this with your friends and family!
These products are household name cleaners and we need to CHANGE that.
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