Our Toxic World

The argument for bucket & squeegee.

Our toxic world (Part 10): Indoor Air Pollutants Up Close: The degree of air pollution indoors is worse than outdoors. Inside the buildings and in our homes, the toxins are trapped in enclosed spaces. This is the reason they tend to be more concentrated. Our kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, bedrooms and living areas are prime targets of indoor toxins. Most of them are petrochemicals, which are the intermediate derivatives from petroleum, hydrocarbon liquids or natural gas. Most of them are from the wide variety of products we use for cleaning. The following list was culled from the book Green This, authored by Deirdre Imus, who runs an environmental center for kids with cancer in New Jersey.  Be conscious of reading the labels and avoid the products that contain them.

Aerosol Propellants (iso butane, butane, propane). Effects:  Irritation of the eyes, airways, asthma and lung disease. Sources:  Oven, carpet and upholstery cleaners, furniture polishes and waxes, air fresheners and insecticides.

Alkylphenolic  Compounds. Effects: Disruption of hormone signals that regulate reproduction and development. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, laundry detergents.

Ammonia. Effects: Irritation of the skin, eyes and airways, and pulmonary edema. Sources: Automatic dishwasher detergents, window cleaners, furniture polishes and waxes, metal cleaners.

Chlorine Bleach. Effects: Local irritation affecting the skin eyes and airways. Sources: Bleaching or whitening products and laundry detergents.

Chloroform. Effects: Nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, respiratory problems; in extreme cases—cancer, liver and kidney damage, heart problems, even death. Sources: Fabric softeners.

Colors and Dyes. Effects: Skin and eye irritation, contact allergy, even cancer. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, hand dishwashing liquids, fabric softeners.

Crystalline Silica. Effects: Irritation of the skin, eyes and airways. Sources: All-purpose cleaners.

Diethanolamin. Effects: Possible cancer. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, hand dishwashing liquids, personal-care products.

Dioxane (also known as diethylene oxide, dioxide, or ether). Effects: Suppressed immune system, cancer. Sources: Window cleaners.

Dioxin (the most dangerous man-made chemical). Effects: Birth defects, development delays, damage to the immune, reproductive and respiratory systems. Sources: Any cleaning product labeled “antibacterial” or “antimicrobial.”

D-limoneme. Effects: Skin and eye irritation.Sources: All-purpose cleaners, fabric softeners.

Ethylacetate. Effects: Headache, stupor, irritation of the eyes and airways. Sources: Fabric softeners.

Formaldehyde. Effects: Severe irritation of the skin, eyes and airways, skin allergies, asthma,  pulmonary edema. Sources: Air fresheners, disinfectants, spray starches; off-gassing furniture, dry-cleaned clothes and upholstery.

Hydrochloric acid. Effects: Highly irritant to the skin (on contact) and to the eyes and airways via fumes. Sources: Toilet bowl, aluminum and oven cleaners, and rust removers.

Hydrofluoric acid. Effects: Extremely irritant to the skin and eyes. Sources: Metal cleaners and polishes.

Kerosene. Effects: Damage to lungs and nerves. Sources: Kerosene itself or component of furniture polishes and waxes.

Linalool. Effects: Nervous system disorders. Sources: Fabric softeners

Methanol (methyl alcohol, wood alcohol). Effects: Neurotoxin and skin irritant. Sources: Window cleaners.

Methylene chloride. Effects: Possible cancer. Sources: Air fresheners and any artificial fragrances.

Morpholine. Effects: Irritation of the skin, mucous membranes and eyes; liver and kidney damage. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, furniture polishes and waxes.

Naphthalene. Effects: Skin and eye irritation including corneal damage and cataracts; liver and kidney damage; damage to the fetus via maternal blood; nervous system disorders; hemolytic anemia. Sources: Moth balls, air fresheners, deodorizers, carpet and toilet bowl cleaners.

Optical brighteners (synthetic chemicals used to brighten clothes). Effects: Allergies. Sources: Laundry detergents.

Organic Solvents. Effects: Nerve toxicity, depression. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, metal polishes, dry-cleaning fluids.

Oxalic acid. Effects: Gastrointestinal problems. Sources: Metal polishes and cleaners.

Paradichlorobenzene or PDCB. Effects: Liver and kidney damage, hormone disruption, cancer; vapors irritate skin, eyes and airways. Sources: Moth repellants, insecticides, air fresheners, toilet deodorizers.

Pentachlorophenol. Effects: Irritation of skin and airways, headache, sweating, weakness and gasping; liver and kidney damage. Sources: Spray starch.

Perchloroethylene, or PERC. Effects: Irritation of the skin, eyes and airways; damage to the liver, kidneys and the nervous system; hormone disruption, and cancer. Sources: Spot removers, de-greasers, dry-cleaning fluids, carpet cleaners.

Phenol. Effects: Highly toxic irritant to the skin, eyes and airways, bronchitis, pulmonary edema, convulsions, shock, coma, even death. Sources: All sorts of cleaners, polishes, disinfectants and fabric softeners.

Phosphoric acid. Effects: Eye, skin and airway irritation. Sources: Toilet bowl cleaners, metal polishes, fabric softeners.

Sodium bisulfate. Effects: Respiratory problems including asthma attacks; damage to the skin, eyes and internal organs if swallowed. Sources: Toilet bowl cleaners and deodorizers, drain cleaners.

Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda or lye). Effects: Skin, eye and airway irritation; lung damage, blindness, even death if swallowed. Sources: Dishwashing liquids and detergents, laundry soaps; oven, tile and tub cleaners, toilet bowl deodorizers.

Sulfuric acid. Effects: Burns, eye damage even blindness. Sources: Metal polishes and drain cleaners.

Synthetic Pine Oil. Effects: Eye irritation. Sources: Air fresheners.

Thioureas. Effects: Thyroid enlargement, bone marrow depression. Sources: Metal polishes and cleaners.

Toluene aka Xylene. Effects: Neurotoxin, carcinogen. Sources: Stain removers.

Trichloroethane (TCA). Effects: Skin irritation, dryness, cracking, inflammation; eye and airway irritation; liver and kidney damage and birth defects on heavy exposure.  Sources: Furniture polishes and waxes, stain removers.

Triethanolamine. Effects: Skin, eye and airway irritation. Sources: All-purpose and carpet cleaners.

Trisodium  phosphate. Effects: Local irritations, breathing problems including asthma, and damage to the mouth, throat and stomach. Sources: All-purpose cleaners.

Dr. Ginsberg presented his book, What's Toxic What's Not, co-authored with Brian Toal, and discussed a number of frequently asked questions and myths the book addresses, ranging from asbestos, power lines and cancer clusters to radon, pesticides and mold. The increasing concern for sustainable environmental practices has been steadily gaining public attention over the last few decades in what Dr. Ginsberg described as the "green wave." But pseudo-environmental practices used by companies trying to appear environmentally concerned are sabotaging progress through a practice he calls "green-washing." He used as a window-cleaning product touting its use of vinegar as an eco-friendly product as an example of green-washing. "When I researched it and contacted them [the producer], vinegar was the last and smallest ingredient and the thing that did most of the cleaning was this industrial solvent that was always in the product," he said.

Thinking environmentally: Catching the "green wave" is really about new ways of thinking, he said. Homeowners associations and neighborhoods that prohibit clothes lines are key examples of an old way of thinking that needs to be replaced by new values, he said. "A new way of thinking is we see wind turbines on a ridge line and rather than people objecting to that as something that mars their view of their yacht when they're off of Nantucket, they see that as the way things ought to be, as a beautiful thing that people are using the wind and the sun," he said. He referenced the Kennedy family's opposition to wind power development off Cape Cod. "Sometimes the way things were, are the way things ought to be," he said.

Breast Cancer From Household Window Cleaning Products

Another reason why house-holders should hire a professional window cleaner. For the next time she says "no thanks, we do them ourselves."

Household cleaning products linked with cancer: A study released July 20 found a possible link between breast cancer and the use of household cleaning products which contain carcinogenic substances such as methylene chloride. The study included 787 women from Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the US who had been diagnosed with breast cancer between 1988 and 1995, and a further 721 control subjects.

The report found that the association between breast cancer, combined cleaning products and combined air freshener products doubled between the highest and lowest quartile of self-reported household product use; e.g., a large number of participants who used the most amount of cleaning products believed that such products were linked with cancer. The association between cleaning products and breast cancer was highest amongst participants who believed that pollutants contribute ‘a lot' to the risk of breast cancer. However, according to the report little association was made between pesticide use and breast cancer.

Though the study states that cleaning product use contributes to increased breast cancer risk, it also notes the difficulty of retrospective surveys in distinguishing between valid associations and recall bias. Household cleaners are of interest to cancer researchers as a number of them contain ingredients which cause cancer in animal mammary glands, such as nitrobenzene found in soaps and methylene chloride which is found in fabric cleaners.

Glass/window cleaner: Glass cleaners emit an ammonia mist, which the user breathes. Although ammonia is a poison, glass cleaning products do not carry a warning label.



SOME OF THE COMMON CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS FOUND IN OFF THE SHELF WINDOW CLEANERS:

AMMONIA - Acute health effects: Can cause headache, loss of sense of smell, nausea, and vomiting. Can irritate skin and eyes, leading to permanent damage. Can irritate nose, mouth, and throat, causing coughing and wheezing. Can irritate lungs, causing coughing and/or shortness of breath; higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs.
Chronic health effects: Repeated exposure can cause chronic irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Repeated exposures may cause bronchitis, with cough, phlegm, and/or shortness of breath.

BUTOXYETHANOL - Acute health effects: Can irritate eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. Exposures at high levels can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and unconsciousness. Chronic health effects: May damage liver and kidneys. Long-term exposure may break down red blood cells, causing anemia. May be a teratogen, causing damage to a developing fetus.

BUTYL ALCOHOL - Acute health effects: Can irritate skin, causing a burning sensation or rash on contact. Can irritate and burn eyes, leading to tearing and damage. Inhalation can cause coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, headache, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness; higher levels can cause unconsciousness and irregular heartbeat.
Chronic health effects: Repeated contact may cause drying and cracking of skin. Exposure can damage liver, heart, kidneys, hearing, and sense of balance.

ALKYL POLYGLYCOSIDE - Acute health effects: Inhalation or contact with material may irritate or burn skin and eyes. Fire may produce irritating, corrosive and/or toxic gases. Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation. Flammable and/or toxic gases are generated by the combination of alcohols with alkali metals, nitrides, and strong reducing agents. They react with oxoacids and carboxylic acids to form esters plus water. Oxidizing agents convert them to aldehydes or ketones.

DIETHYLENE GLYCOL N-HEXYL ETHER - Acute health effects: Ethers tend to form unstable peroxides when exposed to oxygen. Ethyl, isobutyl, ethyl tert-butyl, and ethyl tert-pentyl ether are particularly hazardous in this respect. Exposure can cause irritation of eyes, nose and throat.

ETHYLENE GLYCOL - Acute health effects: Irritation of eyes, skin, nose, throat; lassitude (weakness, exhaustion); headache, dizziness, central nervous system depression; abnormal eye movements (nystagmus); skin sensitization; INGES ACUTE: Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of coordination, stupor, convulsions, unconsciousness; rapid heart rate, congestive heart failure; kidney damage, failure (delayed). Health Effects: Irritation-Eye, Nose, Throat, Skin---Moderate (HE15) CNS depression (HE7). Affected organs: Eyes, skin, respiratory system, CNS.

ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL - Acute health effects: Is an irritant of the eyes and mucous membranes; at high concentrations, it causes central nervous system depression. The first generation offspring of treated rats had early growth retardation. Acute exposure to isopropyl alcohol causes eye and mucous membrane irritation and may cause incoordination and narcosis. Ingestion causes gastrointestinal pain, nausea, vomiting, and may cause coma and death.