Below is a list of ingredients commonly found in commercial cleaning products. Unfortunately, not all ingredients are often listed on the labels of these products. Find out what you can from the label and try to look for specific products at the Food Services of America site. Here you can search for specific products and see their Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). http://www.fsafood.com/msds/
Ingredients: Acetone: Found in spot removers and nail polish removers. Skin and eye irritant, may cause damage to liver and kidneys and to developing fetuses. Alkylphenol ethyoylates (APEs) (examples: nonylphenol, octylphenol): Surfactant common in detergents and disinfectants, these are hormone disruptors and have been found to feminize male fish and cause estrogen-sensitive human breast cancer cells to grow in test tubes. May damage liver, kidney, nervous system, DNA. Unfortunately, these ingredients are rarely disclosed on labels. Ammonia: Poisonous when swallowed, extremely irritating to respiratory passages when inhaled, can burn skin on contact. If used near chlorine bleach, can produce highly toxic chloramine gas. Antibacterial soaps: see Triclosan and Chloroxylenol Butyl cellusolve (aka butyl glycol, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether): Used in all-purpose cleaners. Poisonous when swallowed and a lung irritant, suspected neurotoxin. Chlorine Bleach (aka sodium hypochlorite): An all-purpose whitening agent, it can irritate lungs and eyes and can become toxic organochlorides in waterways. If used near ammonia products, it can produce highly toxic chloramine gas and if used near acids, like those contained in toilet bowl cleaners, it can form highly toxic chlorine gas. Chloroxylenol (PCMX): Found in antibacterial products. May be harmful to skin, liver. Cresol: Suspected carcinogen. Used in disinfectants. Diethanolamine (DEA): Sudsing agent that can combine with nitrosomes (often-undisclosed preservatives) to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines that penetrate skin. 1,4-dioxane: Used in cleaners made with ethoxylated alcohols, suspected carcinogen. d-limonene: Found in air fresheners and "citrus" or "orange cleaners"- can irritate skin. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA): Takes up heavy metals Formaldehyde: Contained in some mold and mildew cleaners and disinfectants. A carcinogen, neutrotoxin and central nervous system depressant. Fragrance, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)s: Frequently contains phthalates, chemicals linked to reproductive abnormalities and liver cancer in lab animals and asthma in children. May also contain propane and butane, which are suspected neurotoxins. Hydrochloric acid: Found in toilet bowl cleaners. Can burn skin, irritate eyes and respiratory tract. Methylene chloride: Contained in some
aerosol products and stain removers. A carcinogen, neurotoxin, and
reproductive toxin. On inhalation, it can cause liver and brain
damage, irregular heartbeat, and even heart attack Monoethanolamine: Found in oven cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, laundry pre-soaks, and carpet cleaners. May cause liver, kidney, and reproductive damage. Skin and eye irritant and can cause dizziness if inhaled. Morpholine: Used as a solvent in many products including furniture polishes and abrasive cleaners. Can combine with nitrosomes (often-undisclosed preservatives) to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines that penetrate skin. Can cause liver and kidney damage and is irritating to eyes, skin, and mucous membranes. Napthalene: Found in pest repellants, furniture cleaners, floor polish, and glass cleaners. Can cause headaches and nausea, damaging to fetuses and newborns. Parabens (Methyl-, ethyl-, butyl-, or propyl-paraben): Used in many cleaning products as preservatives. Hormone disruptors and can cause contact dermatitis. Paradichlorobenzene:
Used in mothballs, air fresheners, and come bathroom cleaners.
Suspected carcinogen and may cause internal organ damage. This highly
volatile registered pesticide is in the same chemical class as DDT Phenols: see Alkylphenol ethyoylates (APEs) Phosphates: softens water for detergents and contributes to algae blooms in waterways, which robs oxygen from fish and aquatic organisms. Banned from laundry detergents but still used in automatic dishwasher detergents. Phosphoric acid: Found in some liquid dishwasher detergents, metal polished, disinfectants, and bathroom cleaners. Corrosive, can burn eyes, skin and lungs. Silica: Found in scouring powders. Crystallized silica is a carcinogen. Sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate: found in toilet bowl cleaners and some dishwashing detergents. Can react with bleach to form toxic chlorine gas and is a eye, skin, and respiratory irritant. Sodium hypochlorite: see Chlorine bleach Sodium hydroxide (lye): found in drain, metal, and oven cleaners and is extremely irritating to the eyes, nose and throat and can burn those tissues on contact. Sodium lauryl sulfate: a common sudsing
agent, can penetrate the skin and cause contact dermatitis. It also
enhances the allergic response to other toxins and allergens. The U.S.
government has warned manufacturers of unacceptable levels of dioxin
formation in some products containing this ingredient. SLS can react
with other ingredients to form cancer-causing nitrosamines Sulfuric acid: Found in drain cleaners. Can damage eyes, lungs, and skin. Toluene: May cause liver, kidney, brain, and reproductive damage. Triclosan: Active ingredient in antibacterial soaps. Contributes to the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs. Can form dioxin, a carcinogen in the presence of sunlight and chloroform, a suspected carcinogen, when in the presence of chlorinated water. Triethanolamine (TEA): sudsing agent that can combine with nitrosomes (often-undisclosed preservatives) to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines that penetrate skin Turpentine: Can cause allergic sensitization, and kidney, bladder, and nervous system damage. It is also an eye irritant. Found in specialty solvent cleaners, furniture polish and shoe products. Xylene: Used in some spot removers, floor polishes, air fresheners, and ironing aids. May cause liver, kidney, brain, and reproductive damage **Check out this link for some new info on potential dangers of some essential oils: |
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