Popular Products are Found to Emit Hazardous Chemicals

An Environmental Impact Assessment was recently performed by the University of Washington and the EPA. They tested fragranced products in order to examine what chemicals they may be releasing. They found that products with fragrances, including "green" and organic products, release VOCs, Volatile Organic Compounds, and every product tested released at least one chemical that is known to be toxic. Here is a summary of the article, and you can find the entire article here.

It seems it may be better to use products without any fragrance and even better to make your own, if possible.

Image from Non-Toxic Kids.

Summary of article:

The researchers analyzed 25 popular fragranced consumer products including:

• air fresheners and deodorizers (sprays, solids, and oils)
• laundry products (detergents, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets)
• cleaners (all-purpose sprays, disinfectants, and dish detergents)
• personal care products (soaps, hand sanitizers, lotions, deodorants, shampoos, and baby products)
  

These products are widely used in the U.S. and other countries—in homes, workplaces, schools, airplanes, hospitals, and public places.

What did the researchers discover?

These 25 products emitted 133 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs), for a collective total of 421 VOCs, and an average of 17 VOCs per product.

Nearly one-fourth of these VOCs are classified as toxic or hazardous under federal laws. Each product emitted at least one of these chemicals.

Some of these VOCs are classified as probable carcinogens with no safe exposure level, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Virtually none of the VOCs emitted from the products were listed on any product label or material safety data sheet.

But this is legal, because no law in the U.S. requires disclosure of all chemicals in consumer products, or of any chemicals in a mixture called "fragrance."

What about green products?

About half of the products made some claim of "green" or a related term, such as "organic," "natural," "essential oils," or "non-toxic."

But the "green product" emissions of toxic or hazardous chemicals were not significantly different from the other products.

What do these findings mean?

Previous studies have found that most of our exposure to pollutants occurs from common sources, such as consumer products.

However, the ingredients in these sources are not fully disclosed.

Thus, consumers may be unknowingly exposed to potential hazards.

Dryer Sheets Contain Toxic Chemicals

While looking around for ideas on greener living, I found that several articles contained warnings against using fabric softener dryer sheets. They contain toxic chemicals that can be harmful when exposed to your skin or when inhaled. It seems like so many products contain chemicals and toxic substances. We really need to read the labels and find out what is in each product we are using. I try to look for products that have only a few ingredients listed.
Instead of using these dryer sheets, you can add about 1/4 cup vinegar to your laundry when washing to remove static and add a few drops (only a few) of essential oils to make the clothing smell nice. You can also use a natural alternative which will have less chemicals, like these sheets in the photo from Seventh Generation. Remember that all these chemicals, in our food, our cleaners, our furniture, and our clothes (especially if you dry clean them) add up in our bodies, and our pets and kids' bodies. Many chemicals can cause illness and may even lead to cancer.
I just read a new study about asthma and toxic chemicals. For years we have known that an increase in asthma is linked to children being raised in an overly sterile environment. It was thought that children who were not exposed to bacteria and viruses were not able to build up their immune system. Now, this new study shows that asthma is more likely to occur in children who are exposed to toxic cleaning products. So, both lack of exposure to germs and the type of cleaning products used may be causing an increase in asthma. I have previously posted about how to make your own cleaning products. You can use those recipes, make your own, or find more online. It is so important for improving your indoor air to use safe, non toxic cleaning products. Let me know if you have any questions about asthma or about products you think may be toxic.