Download HouseholdChem

Mansel Nelson
ITEP
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TVs & Computers
Personal Care/Cosmetics
Furniture
An
Ordinary
House
A Chemical
House
Automobile
Carpeting
Furniture
Flooring
Cleaning Products
& Pesticides
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Levels in Homes
 Pollution inside typical home 2–5 times worse than air
outdoors
 Levels may be 1,000 times background outdoor after
activities like stripping paint
 Indoor air pollution one of top 5 most-serious
environmental risks to public health
 50% of all illnesses traced back to the home
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Sources of Pollutants
 Average US household uses 40 lbs of
chemicals each year
 Average household stores more than 60
hazardous products
 Loaded with fragrances and petroleumdistilled chemicals
 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
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Sources of Pollutants (cont.)
 Paints, paint strippers, and other solvents
 Wood preservatives
 Aerosol sprays
 Cleansers and disinfectants
 Moth repellents
 Air fresheners
 Stored fuels and automotive products
 Hobby supplies
 Dry-cleaned clothing
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Sources of Pollutants (cont.)
 Laundry detergents and fabric softeners
 Phthalates
 Chemicals harmed hormonal systems
 Harmed reproductive organs in animal tests
 Make the scent last longer
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Sources of Pollutants (cont.)
 Chlorine bleach
 Also called sodium hypochlorite
 Caustic fumes
 Toxicity if swallowed
 Scented products
 Perfumes and deodorants
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Sources of Pollutants (cont.)
 Pesticides
 Used inside and outside home
 Can be tracked into home from outside
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Sources of Pollutants (cont.)
 Dry cleaning
 CA Air Resources Board designated
perchloroethylene (PERC) as a toxic air
contaminant
Alternative Choice
-Hydrocarbon solvent
-Wet cleaning
 If you dry clean traditional way
–Air your clothes before wearing or placing
in closet
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Sources of Pollutants (cont.)




Pungent, colorless, toxic, water-soluble gas
Disinfectant
Preservative
Ingredient of synthetic resins, dyes, plastics
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Sources of Formaldehyde
 Building materials
 Pressed wood products



Particleboard
Hardwood plywood
paneling
Medium density
fiberboard
 Smoking
 Household products
 Un-vented, fuel-burning
 Manufactured products
 Permanent press
qualities to clothing and
drapery
 Component of glues
and adhesives
 Preservative in paints
appliances
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Mercury Sources
 Lighting
 Fluorescent
 HID
 Mercury Vapor
 Other
 Thermostat
 Kids shoes
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Sources of Pollutants (cont.)
How Air Fresheners Work
 Interfere with ability to smell by way of nervedeadening agent
 Coat nasal passages with undetectable oil film
 Cover up one smell with another
 (Rarely) break down offensive odor
 Air fresheners do little to freshen the air
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Health Effects Depend on…
 Toxicity of chemical
 Level of exposure
 Length of time exposed
 Pathway of exposure
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Health Effects
 Eye, nose, and throat irritation
 Headaches
 Loss of coordination / dizziness
 Nausea
 Damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system
 Suspected or known to cause cancer in humans
 Allergic skin reaction
 Fatigue
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Health Effects
 Children born into households using toxic
cleaning products twice as likely to have
wheezing
 Over last 20-30 years, level of toxins stored in
body’s adipose tissue (fat cells) have risen
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Health Concerns of Pesticides
 Child in household using home and garden
pesticides has 6.5 x higher risk of developing
leukemia
Health Effects of Pesticides





Neurotoxins
Irritants
Carcinogens
Mutagens
Endocrine disruptors
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Formaldehyde Health Concerns
 Watery eyes
 Burning sensation in the
eyes and throat
 Nausea
 Difficulty breathing
 Shown to cause cancer in
animals and may cause
cancer in humans
 Eyes, nose, and throat
irritation
 Wheezing and coughing
 Fatigue
 Skin rash
 Allergic reactions
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Steps to Reduce Exposure
 Increase ventilation
 Meet or exceed any label precautions
 Do not store opened containers of unused paints and
similar materials
 Throw away unused or little-used containers safely; buy in
quantities that you will use soon
 Never mix household care products unless directed on label
 Follow label instructions carefully
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Steps to Reduce Exposure
 Use least toxic product that works for your project
 Make homemade alternative cleaning products using
baking soda, vinegar, soap
 Provide adequate ventilation
 Keep out of reach of children and pets
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Reduce Pesticide Exposure
When you apply pesticides, you are treating the
symptom, rather than the cause of pest problems
 Control pests without chemicals by using
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques

 Physical controls
 Cultural controls
 Biological controls
 Least-toxic pest control
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Reduce Pesticide Exposure
 Best products for environment and
your health are less toxic and less
persistent
 Dispose of unwanted pesticides
through the Household Hazardous
Waste Program
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Reduce Formaldehyde Exposure
 Use “exterior-grade” pressed wood products
 Provide adequate ventilation
 Maintain moderate temperature and humidity levels
 Use materials not containing formaldehyde
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How do you make
your home healthy?
 Educate yourself
 Investigate and research
 Make lifestyle change
 Be careful what you buy
 Use natural forms of pest control
 Use less toxic cleaning products
 Buy curtains, carpets, furniture or electronics free of
PBDEs
 Choose products free of suspect chemicals
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Resources
http://www.epa.gov/kidshometour/
 Virtual tour of house looking at chemicals
http://www.healthychild.com/database/guide_to_safer_clea
ners_and_disinfectants.htm
 The cleaner can be more dangerous than the things we are
trying to clean up
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Resources
http://www.acereport.org/cleaners.html
 Overview on cleaning chemicals
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/abstracts/01-336.htm
 Indoor Air Chemistry: Cleaning Agents, Ozone and Toxic
Air Contaminants
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Resources
www.vpirg.org/downloads/toxicschools.doc
 Toxic Chemical Exposure in Schools: Our Children At Risk
www.fpinva.org/AWMA2005.htm
 Scented Products as Sources of VOCs: Implications for
Susceptible Populations
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