It is a fact. The primary cause of household toxins and air pollutants is traditional, manufactured household cleaners. The very same products that used to "do good" as people clean and disinfect their homes from unwanted and detrimental substances are actually causing harm to unsuspecting families, including children. Moreover, many of the effects from hidden ingredients in these products are devastating, far-reaching and long-term.
Primary Household Pollutant: Cleaners Emitting Dangerous, Unknown and Untested Toxins
Unfortunately, most people have no idea that the products they use every day may be extremely dangerous to their health, in addition to being harmful to the environment. A 2004 report, "The Health and Environmental Hazards Hidden In Traditional Household Cleaning Products," offered by the Household Toxins Institute in Vermont, points out a host of worrisome facts:
- Cleaning products for sale in the United States are exempt from full ingredient disclosure on product labels.
- Manufacturers are not required to have products tested for safety by independent testers.
- Seventy-nine percent of more than 48,500 synthetic chemicals listed by the EPA have no information on toxic effects; less than twenty percent have been tested for acute effects; and less than ten percent for chronic, reproductive or mutagenic effects.
- Eighty-five percent of consumer warning labels are inadequate. No one regulates air quality in our homes or the way we use toxic chemical cleaning products, even though many of the same substances are subject to stringent Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) government regulations when used in the workplace.
- There is no research to assess the impact of long-term, low-level exposure to compounds contained in cleaning products.
- Increasing amounts of chemicals poured down drains and into public sewers pose an "extreme challenge" to the wastewater treatment industry.
- Eight percent of all cancers are attributable to environmental rather than genetic factors, including exposure to chemicals found in household cleaning products.
New Legislation Aims to Inform Public of Dangerous Home Products
In response to health and environmental concerns regarding hidden toxins in household products, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) introduced a consumer right-to-know bill on November 17, 2011. If passed, the "Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2100" (HR 3457) will ensure tightening of loopholes associated with labeling requirements. Currently, manufacturers are allowed to "hide" untested, toxic ingredients in household cleaning products.
"Our cabinets are full of soaps and cleaners that we assume improve our homes and health," Rep. Israel States in comments to the public. "However, new research shines a light on the secret chemicals that might be doing more harm than good. You have a right to know what's hiding in your household products. That's why I'm introducing legislation to require full disclosure if the ingredients in everyday cleaning products."
Study Identifies Toxins, Carcinogens, Allergens Hidden in Household Cleansers
In his statements, Rep. Israel cites a just-released study, called "Dirty Secrets," regarding safety and hidden ingredients in cleaning products. In the study, commissioned and published by Women's Voices for the Earth, a national organization that works to eliminate toxic chemicals that impact women's health, an independent laboratory tested 20 popular cleaning products for hidden toxic chemicals from five top companies: Clorox, Proctor & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, SC Johnson & Son, and Sunshine Makers (Simple Green). Products include all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergents, dryer sheets, air fresheners, disinfectant sprays, and furniture polish. While two previous reports by the organization focus on hazards of harmful chemicals whose presence is disclosed by manufacturers, this report exposes toxic chemicals that companies keep secret from consumers.
The new "Dirty Secrets" study claims:
- Some products contained reproductive toxins such as toluene and phthalates, carcinogens such as chloroform and a hormone-disrupting synthetic musk.
- Several known allergens were also detected in products, the highest levels of which appeared in fragranced air fresheners.
- Allergens were found in products marketed as fragrance-free.
- None of these chemicals were listed on the product's label.
Brands called-out in the article include: Glade; Simple Green; Simple Green Naturals; Pine Sol; Tide; Clorox; Febreze; Green Works; Bounce; Lysol; AirWick; Pledge; and Windex. The article called the list a mere "snapshot" of hidden chemicals found in popular products.
Proposed Legislation Requires Cleaning Product Ingredients to be Listed on Labels
The Cleaning Product Right to Know Act would require full ingredient labeling on a product or its packaging. Manufacturers would be required to provide an online list of product ingredients. Products covered by the legislation include, but are not limited to: air-care products, automotive products, polishes or floor maintenance products, and disinfectants. Ingredients would be listed in descending order of predominance by weight. Cleaning products without labels containing complete and accurate lists of all ingredients would be treated as misbranded hazardous substances under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.
Further Reading and Information:
- For the Women's Voices for the Earth article regarding toxins, carcinogens and allergens hiding in home cleaning products, including a downloadable full report in PDF format read "Dirty Secrets."
- To follow HR 3457: "Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2011" track it via the United States Congress.
- For health and safety information regarding household products, refer to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Household Products Database.
Claire Eddins - Writer/editor, award-winning photographer Claire Eddins collects gems, horses, and obsesses over home, art, and design.
