Everyone enjoys hanging out in a clean kitchen, but few people think about the way that cleanliness is achieved. For most people, a fresh, disease-free environment means using easily obtainable chemicals. When used, stored, and disposed of properly, most chemical products aren’t harmful. But eventually, if they aren’t used up, these materials must be thrown away. Some discarded products can cause pollution. And if they are accidentally or intentionally misused, some products can cause injury or even death.

As you do this lab, you’ll identify and list materials that are potential sources of pollution in your home. You’ll also come up with strategies to reduce the amounts of these products that are used and learn how to use and dispose of existing ones safely. Reducing the use of harmful materials and disposing of them properly can reduce the risk of contaminating soil, water, and air in your environment.

OBJECTIVES

Identify and classify examples of household hazardous materials.

Organize your observations by creating a data table.

Explain ways to reduce or eliminate hazardous wastes in the home.

MATERIALS

• library resources, which may include the Internet

• paper and pencil, or computer word processing program or spreadsheet

Procedure

MAKING A DATA TABLE

1. Brainstorm examples of materials in your home that you predict would be potentially hazardous. If you need help, consult this chapter in your textbook.

2. (20pts) Prepare a data table that you will use later to organize your observations at home. The sample data table below shows possible column headings that may be useful as you record your data. Feel free to be creative with the table design, but make sure that there is room for at least 10 entries.

Analysis

1. (5pts) According to your research, describe 5 ways to safely store hazardous chemicals in your home.

2. (3pts) Pick 3 chemicals you researched. Describe the precautions that should be taken when using them to minimize risk and ensure safe handling/usage.

3. (3pts) In your opinion, which 3 chemicals seem most dangerous to you and why?

Conclusions

4. (6pts) Suggest at least six ways that you could reduce the quantity of hazardous materials in your home.

5. (2pts) Describe at least 2 ways to safely dispose of hazardous chemicals in the home.

6. (3pts) Pick 3 chemicals you researched. Find and describe a natural alternative to each. For example: instead of putting chemicals on my garden to get rid of weeds and pests, I pull the weeds by hand and I make a mixture of water+garlic+onion+cayenne pepper and apply to the plants to keep the bugs and bunnies off em.

Extension (EXTRA CREDIT)

1. Research and Communications. Design a pamphlet that summarizes your results. The pamphlets should educate the community about methods to reduce potential pollutants in the home. Pamphlets should contain information about nearby hazardous waste collection sites and scheduled collection dates, as well as possible required proof of residency in order to use the waste collection sites.