Toxins

COMMON HOUSEHOLD TOXI NS

In cases where there is no effective safe substitute for a toxic product, re-evaluate how important the goal really is.
Must you absolutely get rid of all household transients? If the goal is absolutely imperative, such as ensuring that
transients do not invade your house, it is important to educate yourself thoroughly.

In The Kitchen - click to alternative
All-purpose cleaner, ammonia-based cleaners, bleach, brass or other metal polishes, dishwater detergent, disinfectant, drain
cleaner, floor wax or polish, glass cleaner, dish washing detergent, oven cleaner, and scouring powder contain dangerous
chemicals. Some examples are as follows:

Sodium hypochlorite (in chlorine bleach)
If mixed with ammonia, releases toxic chloramine gas. Short-term exposure may cause
mild asthmatic symptoms or more serious respiratory problems

Petroleum distillates (in metal polishes)
Short-term exposure can cause temporary eye clouding; longer exposure can damage
the nervous system, skin, kidneys, and eyes.

Ammonia (in glass cleaner)
Eye irritant, can cause headaches and lung irritation; phenol and cresol (in disinfectants):
corrosive; can cause diarrhea, fainting, dizziness, and kidney and liver damage.

Nitrobenzene (in furniture and floor polishes)
Can cause skin discoloration, shallow breathing, vomiting, and death;
associated with cancer and birth defects;

Formaldehyde (a preservative in many products)
Suspected human carcinogen; strong irritant to eyes, throat, skin, and lungs.

I n the Bath - click to alternative
Cosmetics and personal hygiene products contain hazardous substances. Examples: cresol, formaldehyde, glycols,
nitrates/nitrosamines and sulfur compounds in shampoos; butane propellants in hair spray (replacing carcinogenic methylene
chloride), as well as formaldehyde resins; aerosol propellants, ammonia, formaldehyde, triclosan, aluminum chlorhydrate in
antiperspirants and deodorants'; glycols, phenol, fragrance, and colors in lotions, creams, and moisturizers.

In the Living Room and Bedroom - click to alternative
Even the furnishings of the typical American home can be harmful. Fabrics that are labeled "wrinkle-resistant" are usually
treated with a formaldehyde resin. These include: no-iron sheets and bedding, curtains, sleep wear -- any woven fabric, but
especially polyester/cotton blends, marketed as "permanent press" or "easy care." More modern furniture is made of pressed
wood products emits formaldehyde and other chemicals. Carpeting is usually made of synthetic fibers that have been treated
with pesticides and fungicide. Many office carpets emit a chemical called 4-phenylcyclohexene, an inadvertent additive to
the latex backing used in more commercial and home carpets, which is thought to be one of the
chemicals responsible for "sick" office buildings.

In the Utility Closet - click to alternative
A number of products are likely to contain toxic ingredients: carpet cleaner, room deodorizer,
laundry softener, laundry detergent, anti-cling sheets, mold and mildew cleaner, mothballs,
and spot remover all usually contain irritant or toxic substances. Examples:

Perchloroethylene or 1-1-1 Trichloroethane solvents (in spot removers and carpet cleaners)
can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested; perchloroethylene is an animal
carcinogen and suspected human carcinogen;

Naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene (in mothballs)
Naphthalene is a suspected human carcinogen that may damage eyes, blood, liver, kidneys, skin,
and the central nervous system; paradichlorobenzene can harm the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys.

Hydrochloric acid or sodium acid sulfate: (in toilet bowl cleaner)
Burns the skin or causes vomiting diarrhea and stomach burns if swallowed; also can cause blindness if inadvertently
splashed in the eyes; residues from fabric softeners, as well as the fragrances commonly used in them, can be irritating to
susceptible people; possible ingredients of spray starch (aside from the starch): include formaldehyde, phenol, and
pentachlorophenol; in addition, any aerosolized particle, including cornstarch, may irritate the lungs.

In the Studio or Hobby Room - click to alternative
Although legislation controlling many of the dangerous ingredients in hobby materials has recently
been passed, exposure to certain art materials remains a health risk.

Dangerous chemicals and metals include
Lead in ceramic glazes, stained-glass materials, and many pigments; cadmium in silver solders, pigments, ceramic glazes and
fluxes; chromium in paint pigments and ceramic colors; manganese dioxide in ceramic colors and some brown oil and
acrylic paint pigments; cobalt in some blue oil and acrylic paint pigments; formaldehyde as a preservation in many acrylic
paints and photographic products; aromatic hydrocarbons in paint and varnish removers, aerosol sprays, permanent
markers, etc.; chlorinated hydrocarbons (solvents) in ink, varnish, and paint removers, rubber cement, aerosol sprays;
petroleum distillates (solvents) in paint and rubber cement thinners, spray adhesives, silk-screen inks; glycol ethers and
acetates in photography products, lacquer thinners, paints, and aerosol sprays.

In the Garage - click to alternative
A number of dangerous substances are frequently present, including paint, paint thinner, benzene, kerosene, mineral spirits,
turpentine, lubricating/motor oils, and gasoline. Hazards among them include these chemicals: chlorinated aliphatic and
aromatic hydrocarbons in paint thinner can cause liver and kidney damage; petroleum hydrocarbons, an ingredient of
gasoline, motor oils, and benzene, are associated with skin and lung cancer; mineral spirits in oil-based paint are a skin, eye,
nose throat, and lung irritant. High air concentrations can cause nervous system damage, unconsciousness and death;
ketones in paint thinner may cause respiratory ailments; vary according to specific form of the chemical; ketones and
toluene in wood putty; toluene in highly toxic, may cause skin, kidney, liver, central nervous system damage; may damage
reproductive system.

In the Garden Shed - click to alternative
Pesticides, one of the most important single hazards in the home. Around 1,400 pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are
ingredients in consumer products. Combined with other toxic substances such as solvents, pesticides
are present in more than 34,000 different product formulations.

On the Patio - click to alternative
Charcoal lighter fluid contains petroleum distillates. Besides being flammable and imparting a chemical taste to food,
some petroleum distillates contain benzene, a known human carcinogen.

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