The 10 Most Dangerous Toxins in Your Home
Staying home is hazardous to your health!
(by Claude Morgan - The Environmental Magazine)
Toxins found in the home injured 789,000 Americans between
1992 and 1995, and
new research suggests that this figure is underestimated. Toxins in U.S. homes
now account for 90 percent of all reported poisonings each year according to
the American Association of Poison Control Centers. That's an epidemic of
hazardous living by any standard. And while these figures include everything
from non-fatal aspirin overdoses to the deadly consumption of drain cleaners,
they fail to include long-term exposure to toxins like lead, aluminum and asbestos.
The short list of toxins under your roof may surprise you:
- Formaldehyde - in toothpaste & mouthwash: - frequently contains formaldehyde, a common ingredient in supermarket toothpaste, mouthwash, room deodorant, air freshener and cosmetics. This known carcinogen also off-gasses (evaporates) from cushions, particleboard and adhesives used to manufacture most inexpensive wood-based products.
- Phenols - in disinfectants:- phenols, which include biphenyl, phenolics and the preservative pentachloraphenol, are found in disinfectants, antiseptics, perfumes, mouthwashes, glues and air fresheners
- Arsenic - pesticides: - arsenic is still laced in many household pesticides and is increasingly used as a wood preservative. Low levels of inorganic arsenic "may increase lung cancer risk," according to the CDC. The Department of Health and Human Services agrees, adding arsenic compounds to the list of known carcinogens.
- Plastics (PVC) - the plastic interior of a new car offgasses this known carcinogen. Water sitting in PVC pipes overnight may be steeping into a toxic tea. Very large exposures can lead to "vinyl chloride disease," which causes severe liver damage and ballooning of the fingertips.
- Hydrofluoric Acid - in household solvents & rust-removers - hydrofluoric acid can cause intense pain and damage to tissues and bone if the recommended gloves happen to have holes in them. This highly corrosive substance is the active ingredient in many household rust removers.
- Propane, butane, phenol - in aerosols: - room fresheners, deodorisers, personal deodorants, contain propane, butane, phenol and formaldehyde. Contributing to respiratory disease and increased incidence of cancer.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - even the most liberal list of known toxins pales next to the order of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs comprise hundreds of natural and man-made, carbon-based agents. They react quickly with other carbon-based compounds, and evaporate easily, making them ideal solvents. VOCs can be found in most household cleaning and body care products.
- Benzene & methyl ethyl ketone - in solvents: Benzene and methyl ethyl ketone traverse cell walls unchecked by normal cell defenses. Both are known carcinogens. Cousins toluene, xylene, trichloroethane (TCA) and trichloroethylene (TCE) make up the lion's share of the solvent market.
- Carbon monoxide: - colourless, odourless and deadly! Don't look for exhaust fumes in the attached garage. the biggest culprit is the unserviced heater burning propane, LPG, butane or oil.
- Chlordane, aldrin, dieldrin - termite treatment (now banned) though all these substances have been banned for nearly two decades, they continue to show up airborne in older houses.
References
- Living Healthy in a Toxic World by David Steinman and R. Michael Wisner (Berkley, 1996).
- Toxins A-Z: A Guide to Everyday Pollution Hazards by John
Harte, Cheryl Holdren,
(University of California, 1991) - Home Safe Home: Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Everyday Toxics
( by Debra L. Dadd... Putnam, 1997)
