If you can't pronounce it, should you use it?
Reporter: Wendy Mesley; Producer: Gaelyne Leslie; Researcher: Louisa Jaslow
When Shawn Ellis tests the air in parts of a house where cleaners are stored, he is measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs). His meter won't tell you how strong or harmful the chemical particles might be. It will provide clues as to how many particles there are.
"You can always smell those cleaners even though they’re all tightly sealed." Everywhere the cleaning products are kept, the readings jump. The average home normally reads about 50 parts per billion. We asked Ellis to test three products that are often advertised on television:
Pledge, Clorox Wipes and Lysol Disinfecting Spray.
Pledge registered 273 ppb. Anything over 500 could be a problem for people with sensitivities.
The Clorox Wipes came in at more than 1,000 ppb.
The Lysol Disinfecting Spray was much higher — around 1,200 parts per million, or 1,000 times higher than the Clorox.
We live in an increasingly chemical society: experts don't know how dangerous these chemicals might be, but they are starting to worry physicians like Dr. Gideon Koren. Dr. Koren is a pediatrician at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. "How can we, as one of the most advanced countries in the world allow these to enter our household for small children, without the appropriate testing to see that it’s safe?" Young children especially vulnerable Koren says young children are especially vulnerable, partly because of exposure. Everything goes in their mouths and they virtually live on the floor. And young kids are more sensitive because they are still developing the basic body systems: the brain, internal organs, respiratory and immune systems are not fully developed until adolescence.
Koren and his researcher are studying the babies of women who were exposed to chemical solvents in the workplace. They're finding vision problems. "Vision is one of the functions of the human brain, so it means that these chemicals find themselves through the mum, through the umbilical cord, into the baby, into the developing brain, and damaging functions there, and the baby is born already with a problem," Koren said. Manufacturers are obliged to release toxicology data in the workplace. But when these same chemicals are used in the home, the exposure is lower. But no one know what affect they may have — and there's no obligation to inform us. In Canada, respiratory illness is now the leading cause of admission to hospital for children.
Childhood asthma has jumped by 400 per cent. After injuries, cancer is now the leading cause of death in children between the ages of five and nine. Dr. Virginia Salares specialized in indoor air quality. We asked her what's in some of the products being marketed to young families. One product we looked at — Lysol Anti-bacterial Action Spray — lists ethanol 79 per cent. Not just any ethanol, Salares, says. It's denatured ethanol.
Salares has put together a book for us, full of data sheets which lists the hazards of specific chemicals in the workplace. Here's what she discovered about denatured ethanol: "May cause irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes, may cause central nervous system depression if inhaled or ingested." There's also alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride — a pesticide. The ads suggest you can spray this every day, where kids are playing. Salares says that's something parents should think about. "Do they want to spray the air people are breathing? Or that kids with toys or surfaces that children are touching, do they want them sprayed?" Clorox Disinfecting Wipes lists two ingredients: dimethyl benzyl ammonia chloride .145 per cent and dimethyl ethyl benzyl ammonia chloride. Again, more pesticides.
"If you find that it has ingredients, which is a chemical you can’t even pronounce, you don’t know what it is, you don’t know how it can affect you. I think it’s about time you think, should I be using this?" Salares said. The other product we looked at was Pledge. It doesn't list any ingredients at all. But Salares has looked into it. "It has silicones…and it has butane gas…and propane." And in glass cleaners? "Some of them have what are called glycol ethers, and there’s concern over these products for workers who have been exposed occupationally. They have been seeing reproductive effects.
In the semi-conductor industry they are being phased out," Salares said. Salares says we still don't know what kind of exposure to these chemicals is harmful for children, but she notes that at some level, they can be harmful. Larry Stoffman with the Labour Environmental Alliance Society, helps run a watchdog group that looks out for the health and safety of workers. "There’s a labeling system in the workplace that uses symbols for both acute and chronic hazards and statements that are supposed to warn you about those hazards…Some of these same chemicals are in consumer products but there’s nothing on the label like that for a consumer product."
Household cleaners fall under the Hazardous Products Act, which dates back to the mid-1960s. They're regulated by the Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations. Labels are required to provide hazard symbols like "poison" and "flammable." They also have to give information about first aid treatments for those ingredients. But there's no requirement to list other chemicals that could cause long-term health effects — and no warnings that say anything like "may cause respiratory problems." "People assume that it’s on the shelf it’s been tested, it’s safe. And you can’t make that assumption all the time. You can’t. Not with the regulatory framework we have in place," Kathy Cooper of the Canadian Environmental Law Association, told Marketplace. Cooper adds that Hazardous Products Act badly needs to be updated.
Health Canada told us in an e-mail that:
“the responsibility for assessing the hazards associated with a chemical product is that of the manufacturer." We wanted to ask Health Canada about its role and some of the concerns raised in this story, but they refused repeated requests for an on-camera interview. The manufacturers of Lysol, Clorox and Pledge all said they were unavailable for an interview and so did their trade association. Meanwhile, back at the Sauls' home, Shawn Ellis advises Amanda to cut back on some of her cleaning products. "I think I’m going to go through all of them and try to find one or two that might work but also another way I might do it too is to see what natural products are out there," Amanda Saul said. She'll have to figure out what to cut out on her own. For the time being, the government and the manufacturers of household cleaning products are under no obligation to help her.
WARNING: You can't trust warning labels!
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed 2983 chemicals used in personal care products. The results were as follows:
884 of the chemicals were toxic
314 caused biological mutation
218 caused reproductive complications
778 caused acute toxicity
148 caused tumors
376 caused skin and eye irritations
Did You Know?
· There are more than 3 million poisonings every year.
· Household cleaners are the #1 cause of poisonings in children.
· Regular shampoos often contain formaldehyde as a preservative
· Since 1980 asthma has increased by 600%
· Common household products have been identified as triggers of asthma
· A 15 year study found that women who worked at home had a 54% highter death rate from cancer than women who had jobs outside the home.
· Manufacturers ARE NOT required to list the exact ingredients on a label.
· Chemical names are often disguised by using "trade names", so you may not recognize the chemical for what it truly is.
· A women's fertility has also been negatively affected by the increase use of chemicals. In 1934 only 21 cases of endometriosis existed in the entire world. Today over 5 million women have this condition, which causes infertility in the US alone.
Why Should We Worry About Toxic Chemicals?
According to the EPA, most homes have airborne concentrations of hazardous chemicals that are two to five times higher indoors than outdoors.
According to the EPA, toxic chemicals found in the home are three times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor airborne pollutants.
The Consumer product Safety Commission connects 150 chemicals commonly found in our homes to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders.
The National Cancer Institute has a list of twenty known carcinogens and over 2,200 chemicals that are probable carcinogens. Many of these chemicals are in the cleaners and personal care products you buy at your local grocery store.
What can you do?
ECOSENSE – MELALEUCA’S HOUSEHOLD CLEANING PRODUCTS
The following are ecological home cleaning products, combining the best of science and nature. Each product uses biodegradable recyclable packaging and naturally derived organic cleaning agents. The products are gentle and family-friendly. They contain no harsh chemicals, phosphates, ammonia, bleach, chlorine or any other cancer-causing ingredients. Instead they rely on enzymes derived from natural sources and Melaleuca oil, the most powerful natural non-caustic solvent available, making them safe for you, your children, your pets and the environment. Childproof caps are not required on these products!
EcoSense Laundry Care is the only product system of its kind. It’s the perfect balance between safety, performance and value. Most domestic washing machines are infected with bacteria, which is killed by Melaleuca Oil.
MelaPower Liquid Laundry Detergent – The only patent-pending laundry care line on the market. Its pH-balanced, non-alkaline, bleach-free, phosphate-free formula delivers
amazingly clean clothes without damaging the fabric. Concentrated formula means lower cost per use than other brands.
MelaBrite Colour-safe whitener and brightener – Natural stain-breaking enzymes target specific stains without harming colours or fabric.
PreSpot Plus Stain Remover – pairs the penetrating qualities of Melaleuca Oil with an unsurpassed stain-targeting system to knock out stains safely. Works well on carpets too!
MelaSoft Fabric Conditioner – Penetrates deep to leave clothes softer, eliminates static cling, reduces drying time (saving energy) and reduces wrinkling (saving ironing).
Sol-U-Mel Stain Remover and Deodoriser – The penetrating, solvency and deodorising properties of Melaleuca Oil work together in this formula to dissolve tough stains, remove sticky residues and leave behind a pleasant aroma without using harmful, abrasive or caustic chemicals.
Tough & Tender All-purpose Cleaner - Water is nature’s most basic cleaner and solvent however, surface tension, the natural tendency of water to bind together, allows water to pass over some dirt and grease without cleaning it. Tough & Tender enhances water’s natural cleaning power with a formula that softens water and reduces surface tension, allowing its powerful cleaning agents to penetrate more deeply and effectively. And it goes a long way – one $10 bottle will make the equivalent of 192 bottles of supermarket brands! Add it to the water to keep cut flowers fresh for longer.
MelaMagic Heavy-Duty Multi-Purpose Cleaner - Industrial-strength cleaning power on greasy or soiled surfaces without dangerous fumes, bleach or ammonia. One bottle makes 8 buckets of multi-purpose cleaner. Great for timber floors!
Diamond Brite Gel Dishwashing liquid - Supermarket brand dishwashing liquids contain phosphates, which contribute to algae growth and the destruction of natural aquatic wildlife. Diamond Brite contains no phosphate and no chlorine, helping to keep our waterways clean. No offensive chlorine smell, just the fresh lemon scent of a natural clean!
Lemon Brite for hand-washed dishes - Long-lasting suds containing dual grease-cutters and a triple detergent system to dissolve tough, dried-on foods. Gentle, biodegradable ingredients that are kind to your hands.
Clear Power Glass Cleaner - Effective, streak-free performance with no ammonia and no alcohol. Concentrated formula saves money.
Tub & Tile - Bathroom Cleaner not only restores newness to bathroom fixtures but it also acts as a mild deodoriser. Its foaming, non-abrasive formula does heavy-duty cleaning jobs without scratching surfaces. It replaces 3 different ready-to-use cleaners – abrasive powders, odour remover and tile cleaner. Tub & Tile contains naturally derived ingredients including Melaleuca Oil and sugarcane acids.
Rustic Touch Furniture Polish - Non-aerosol, non-flammable conditioner and polish protects, nourishes and restores wood, laminated surfaces, vinyl, leather and panelling. No waxy build-up, no harmful fumes and no fire hazard. Also works well on venetian blinds.
These products can only be found at Melaleuca Inc. Basically, Melaleuca is a buying club that offers all the products you would find at your local drugstore. It’s a wholesale catalog shopping system that carries a line of wellness products. Melaleuca has an entire cleaning line for your home, a nutritional line for all your health needs, and an excellent cosmetic line for your beauty needs. All of these products are environmentally friendly without harsh chemicals! Melaleuca's products are truly top-notch in quality and price. You will save money using their products.
The only way to join Melaleuca as a preferred customer is by going through a marketing executive. If you would like to join or just find out even more about how to purchase these products just email me at gmoonowl@wmconnect.com. If you want you can call me. My phone number is (719) 784-4758. I live in Colorado.
Gabe Martinez
Marketing Executive
Tel: (719) 784-4758
Email: gmoonowl@wmconnect.com
"Enhancing the lives of those we touch by helping people reach
their goals"
Links about toxins in the home:
http://www.bygpub.com/natural/living.htm
http://www.nbc6.net/dianagonzalez/1822845/detail.html
http://consumerlawpage.com/article/household-chemicals.shtml
http://oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_2002/tows_past_20020531_c.jhtml
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-11-08-chec.htm
http://www.checnet.org
http://www.childenvironment.org
http://danpatch.ecn.purdue.edu/~epados/waste/house/mainmenu.htm
http://www.rmbarry.com/research/toxics_children.html
http://www.pbs.org/tradesecrets/
http://www.preventingharm.org/index.html