THE BADDIES

Toxic chemicals –health & the environment
Environmental considerations include toxicity, biodegradability, if product contains petroleum distillates and how recyclable its packaging is. Different household cleaners derived from petrochemical industry have a great impact on the environment, both from the waste stream they generate during their manufacture and in their poorer biodegradability.

Most conventional household cleaners contain petroleum derived additives and detergents. These often break down incompletely and contain toxic impurities that are highly irritant and may cause allergic reactions. They are also a threat to plant and animal life.

About detergents and surfactants
Detergents are a part of a larger group of chemicals called surfactants (short for "surface active agents"). Surfactants work by changing the properties of water by for instance reducing the surface tension of the water. Detergents have similar properties to surfactants and may in addition add foaming ability. Both detergents and surfactants can be synthesized from either plant, animal or petroleum material. There is no difference between the detergents you use in your household cleaning products and those you use in your bath. It is simply a matter of concentration and presentation.

It is simple dirt
All-purpose cleaners can contain individual chemicals that are known to be carcinogens or they may contain a mixture of chemicals that interact with other chemicals to form carcinogens. While the health effects of some chemicals, e.g. headaches and skin rashes, are direct, others are indirect.

EDTA, for example, can be irritating to the skin but it also binds with toxic metals in environment and remobilizes them, carrying them back into our drinking water supplies and food, especially fish and shellfish. Ingredients in conventional all-purpose cleaners are known central nervous system depressants that can cause headaches, drunkenness, nausea and damage to internal tissues and organs such as the liver and kidneys.

Liquid toilet cleaners contain many dangerous, highly toxic ingredients and it is a known fact that most household chemical accidents and poisonings occur in the bathroom. Their ingredients can be irritating to the eyes, respiratory tract, and damage kidneys and liver.

Floor cleaners are generally made from either petroleum distillates and solvents or water-based detergents. The mixture makes a cocktail that is dangerous to inhale and can irritate the skin. Prolonged and repeated skin exposure and exposure to the vapors from floor cleaners can result in central nervous system depression, liver and kidney problems, birth defects and cancer. Phosphates used in them are devastating for the environment, causing algae blooms that choke rivers and other waterways.

Typical glass and window cleaner contains ingredients that have been associated with liver and kidney problems, birth defects and nervous system disorders. Products with ammonia should not be used around children or elderly people with respiratory problems such as asthma since ammonia can aggravate these conditions.

Fragrances
Several thousand different chemicals are used in fragrance manufacture; 95 per cent of these are derived from petroleum. Of the less than 20 per cent that have actually been tested for safety, most have been found to be toxic to humans. These include benzene derivatives, aldehydes and many known toxins capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions.

Women and children are at most risk from synthetic fragrances. Children and infants because:

  • They breathe at a faster rate
  • They are smaller and their sense of smell is more accurate
  • Children's skin is thinner and all substances are more easily absorbed

Perfumes and coloured products are associated with significant adverse effects on children's behaviour.

Women are at risk simply because they spend more time at home using toxic cleaners and also because women have more fat tissue in their bodies. When the body encounters a chemical that the liver cannot break-down then it stores that chemical in fat tissue.

  • Phosphates - used as water softeners and to improve cleaning, they can stimulate excessive growth of algae in waters in such a way that water becomes starved of oxygen, killing fish and plant life.
  • EDTA (ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid) - an alternative to phosphates to reduce water hardness, it stabilizes the bleach and foaming agents in detergent products, preventing them from becoming active before immersed in water. While the health effects of some chemicals, e.g. headaches and skin rashes, are direct, others are indirect. EDTA, for example, can be irritating to the skin but also binds with toxic chemicals - known carcinogens such as lead and mercury - in the environment and remobilizes them carrying them back in our drinking water supplies and food, especially fish and shellfish.
  • Bleach - liquid and vapours are irritating to the skin, eyes, nose and throat. Skin splashes can cause dermatitis and ingestion cause stomach irritation, prolonged nausea and vomiting.
  • Optical brighteners - used in laundry products, they remain on the surface of the cloth to create an optical illusion of whiteness. Optical brighteners can cause skin sensitization and allergic reactions and they are also extremely difficult to biodegrade.

Possible consequences
Below we have listed possible consequences that toxic chemicals may cause to your body. Since human body is a complex creature in all its beauty it is impossible to prove cause and an effect, pin point to any particular reason for a problem. But if you suffer from any of the following symptoms, it is good to take into consideration also what kind of household cleaning products you use.

  • Constant tiredness, chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Auto-immune diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis
  • Respiratory problems such as asthma or chronic bronchitis
  • Sinusitis or hay fever
  • Frequent colds, or susceptibility to flu
  • Watery itchy eyes or eyes that produce excess mucous
  • Skin problems such as dermatitis or eczema
  • Regular headaches or migraines
  • Mental symptoms such as depression
  • Menstrual problems such as PMS, irregular periods
  • Parasitic infestations
  • Overweight or underweight

No one is suggesting that chemical overload is the sole cause of such problems but it cannot be ruled out as a contributing factor. What is more, diseases that do not seem to respond to conventional treatment often do respond once the environment and the body are cleared of toxins.

And a word about bacteria
So it is that us ladies (and gentlemen!) who want to get rid of the bacteria that is lurking in all sorts of places at home. It is a passion (or obsession if you wish) that drives us into hysterical buying of colourful spray bottles that promise us to destroy 99.9% of the bacteria we have around us.

Have you ever wondered what happens to the 0.01% of bacteria that survives…

yup you got it -it multiplies at an unimaginable speed. But don't worry, below a little bit information about bacteria and you can feel safe again in your home.

As we all know, many products claim to be antibacterial, but in fact bacteria is programmed to survive; spraying with harsh antibacterial agent will make them stronger, not weaker. On the other hand the bacteria we encounter in our homes are unlikely to pose threat to health: even babies and young children have built up immunity to them. The usage of antibacterial agents and their effects can be seen in hospitals, where food-borne diseases and anti-biotic resistant superbugs are a threat to health.