What potentially dangerous chemicals can be found in the typical
home?
Potentially dangerous chemicals can be found in every room in your
home. If not properly stored or used, these products could cause
minor to serious and even life-threatening health problems for you
or your children. What are these every day household chemicals?
Let’s take a tour of the rooms of your home and discover what some
of these chemicals are and what health harms they may cause.
Keep in mind that most household cleaning products and pesticides
are reasonably safe when used as directed, and that the level of
toxicity of a product is dependent on the dose of the product used
(never use more than the amount listed on the label) and the length
of exposure to the product.
In the garage
Antifreeze. Ethylene glycol, the main hazardous ingredient of
antifreeze, is extremely poisonous. Though inhalation of the fumes
can causes dizziness, swallowing antifreeze will cause severe damage
to the heart, kidneys, and brain. Antifreeze can be fatal if
swallowed.
Safety tips: If you need to clean up antifreeze the bright green or
yellow liquid you find in your garage or driveway make sure you wear
gloves because ethylene glycol is absorbed through the skin. Also,
keep your pets away from spilled antifreeze. Pets are attracted to
antifreeze because of its sweet smell, but licking or drinking the
fluid can kill your pet. A much safer alternative to ethylene glycol
is propylene glycol. Before purchasing antifreeze, look at the label
to identify products containing the less toxic chemical, propylene
glycol.
Motor oil. Used oil or waste motor oil may be contaminated with
magnesium, copper, zinc, and other heavy metals deposited from your
vehicle’s engine. Oil contains chemicals that can cause nerve and
kidney damage and that are suspected of causing cancer.
Latex paint. Unless ingested in large quantities, water-soluble
latex paints are not highly toxic. However, some latex paints emit
formaldehyde when drying. High levels of formaldehyde can give you a
headache and irritate your eyes, nose and throat.
Oil-based paint. Oil-based paint contains organic solvents that can
be irritating to eyes and skin, and can cause cracking of skin.
Inhaling paint fumes can result in headaches, nausea, dizziness, and
fatigue. Most of these symptoms go away once you go out into fresh
air. However, frequent exposure to these chemicals in the presence
of poor air circulation can cause kidney, liver, and blood problems.
Safety tips: When painting, keep windows and doors fully open. Place
a box fan in a window to direct air and fumes outdoors. Keep the fan
on while painting and for 48 hours thereafter. Keep small children
away from the room being painted and away from open paint cans.
Batteries. Most wet-cell batteries in use in today’s cars, SUVs, and
trucks are sealed so you cannot be exposed to the batteries’
contents, which include sulfuric acid and lead. However, when
activated, the electrolyte solution in the battery produces
explosive gases that can be easily ignited. Batteries that contain
sulfuric acid must be so labeled. Sulfuric acid fumes are strongly
irritating and contact can cause burning and charring of the skin,
or blindness if you get it in your eyes. Lead is poisonous in all
forms and accumulates in our bodies and in the environment.
Safety tips: Never break the seal of wet-cell batteries. If the seal
is accidentally broken, keep children and pets away from the area
until the battery's acid is cleaned up. Wash your hands after any
contact with wet-cell batteries.
Windshield washer fluid. Common chemicals in windshield washer fluid
are methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropanol. Collectively, these
products can irritate the lining of your nose, mouth and throat and
can cause damage to the nervous system, liver, kidneys, heart, and
brain. Ingestion can result in drowsiness, unconsciousness and
death.
In the laundry room/utility room
Laundry detergents. These products contain enzymes (as noted by the
names "cationic," "anionic," or "non-ionic" on the label) to loosen
stains and ground-in dirt. Cationic detergents are the most toxic
when taken internally. Ingestion can result in nausea, vomiting,
shock, convulsions, and coma. "Non-ionic" detergents are less toxic
but can irritate skin and eyes or make you more sensitive to other
chemicals. Asthma can develop if a person is exposed to large
quantities of detergent. Detergents are also responsible for many
household poisonings from accidental swallowing.
All-purpose cleaners. There are numerous "all-purpose" cleaning
products on the market. These products usually contain detergents,
grease-cutting agents, solvents, and/or disinfectants. The specific
chemicals in these ingredients include ammonia, ethylene glycol
monobutyl acetate, sodium hypochlorite, and/or trisodium phosphate.
Depending on the ingredients used, all-purpose cleaners can irritate
the skin, eyes, nose, and throat. They can be highly poisonous to
both humans and animals if swallowed.
Safety tips: When working with an all-purpose cleaner, always wear
rubber gloves to protect your skin. Also, be sure that there is good
air circulation in the room. Open several windows or keep a fan
running. Most importantly, NEVER mix two cleaners of different kinds
together, especially products containing ammonia and chlorine
(bleach). This mixture can result in the production of a gas called
chloramine, which can cause serious breathing problems and be
potentially fatal if inhaled in great quantities.
Bleach. Household bleach contains the chemical sodium hypochlorite
in different concentrations ranging from 0.7 percent to 5.25
percent. These percentages are the amount of the chemical in the
liquid; the rest of the liquid is mostly water. Chlorine bleach
liquid and vapors can irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and throat.
Dermatitis may result from direct skin contact. Ingestion can cause
esophageal injury, stomach irritation, and prolonged nausea and
vomiting.
Never mix chlorine bleach with any other household cleaning products
and especially not with ammonia. Doing so can result in different
types of poisonous gases being released, which can cause very
serious breathing problems.
Pet flea and tick treatments. Many of the pet flea and tick
treatment products contain pesticides that consist of the chemicals
imidacloprid, fipronil, pyrethrins, permethrin, and methoprene.
These chemicals can cause headache, dizziness, twitching, and
nausea.
Safety tips: When using these products on your dog or cat, be sure
not to pet them for at least 24 hours. If you forget and do pet
them, wash your hands and skin immediately with a lot of soap and
water.
Insecticides. Insecticides contain some of the same pesticides found
in pet flea and tick treatments. In addition to permethrin, other
pesticide chemicals commonly found in insecticides are diazinon,
propoxur, and chlorpyrifos. These chemicals can cause headache,
dizziness, twitching, and nausea.
Safety tips: When using an insecticide in the home, make sure it
doesn't get on food or substances that come in contact with food,
like dish towels, dishes, silverware, or counter tops.
In the kitchen
Dishwashing detergents. The main ingredient in automatic and hand
dishwashing detergents is phosphate. Automatic dishwashing
detergents are known to produce skin irritations or burns and may be
poisonous if swallowed. Hand dishwashing detergents are milder than
automatic dishwashing detergents. If swallowed, they may cause
irritation to the mouth and throat, nausea, but they are not fatal
if swallowed.
Oven cleaners. The basic ingredient in oven cleaners is lye
(consisting of either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide). Lye
is extremely corrosive and can burn your skin and eyes. It can cause
severe tissue damage and may be fatal if swallowed.
Safety tips: When working with oven cleaners, always wear an apron,
gloves, and safety goggles. Do not breathe the fumes. Make sure the
work area is well ventilated. The best tip: Non-toxic oven cleaners
without lye are available. Look at the label and select a product
that does not contain lye.
Antibacterial cleaner. Antibacterial cleaners usually contain water,
a fragrance, a surfactant (to break up dirt), and a pesticide. The
pesticides commonly used in antibacterial cleaners are quaternary
ammonium or phenolic chemicals. Antibacterial cleaners can irritate
your eyes and burn your skin and throat.
Safety tips: To help protect your skin when using these cleaners,
wear latex dishwashing gloves. If you get some on the cleaner on
your skin or in your eyes, wash it off immediately.
Window and glass cleaner. The basic ingredients of window/glass
cleaners are ammonia and isopropanol. These products may be
irritating to the eyes, skin, nose, and throat. If swallowed, they
may cause drowsiness, unconsciousness, or death.
Safety tips: Always wear gloves to use these products and use in a
well-ventilated area.
Bait traps for ants, cockroaches, crickets, and other insects. The
insecticides commonly found in insect baits include abarmectin,
propoxur, trichlorfon, sulfluramid, chlorpyrifos, and boric acid.
Since most insect baits are enclosed in containers, it’s unlikely
that you’ll come in contact with the pesticides within them. If you
do, wash your hands with plenty of soap and water.
In the bathroom
Toilet bowl cleaners. Toilet cleaners contain the chemicals sodium
hypochlorite or hydrochloric acid, or bleach. Most disinfectant
cleaners are very irritating to your eyes and skin and will burn
your throat.
Never mix a toilet bowl cleaner with any other household or cleaning
products. Doing so can result in poisonous gases being released and
can cause very serious breathing problems.
Safety tips: Always be sure when cleaning your bathrooms that the
room has plenty of ventilation. Leave the door open and use the
exhaust fan, if you have one. Wear latex dishwashing gloves to help
protect your skin from splashes when using toilet cleaners. If you
splash some on your skin, wash it off immediately.
Mold and mildew removers. Chlorine and alkyl ammonium chlorides are
the common fungicide chemicals found in mold and mildew removers.
Cleaners with mold and mildew removers may cause breathing problems
and if swallowed, can burn your throat.
Safety tips: Wear latex dishwashing gloves to help protect your skin
when using these products. If you get some on your skin, wash it off
immediately.
Drain cleaners. Lye and sulfuric acid are the main ingredients used
to unclog drains. Lye can cause burns to skin and eyes, and if
swallowed, can damage the esophagus and stomach. Sulfuric acid can
irritate the skin and eyes and can damage the kidneys, liver, and
digestive tract. These chemicals produce dangerous fumes, can cause
skin burns, and can cause blindness if they come in contact with
your eyes. Drain cleaners can be fatal if swallowed.
Safety tips: Always use protective gloves and wear goggles when
using these products. Also, make sure there is good air circulation
in the room when these cleaners are used.
In the living room
Rug, carpet, upholstery cleaners. These cleaning products can
contain perchloroethylene (used in dry cleaning), naphthalene, and
ammonium hydroxide. The fumes given off by these products can cause
cancer and liver damage and have been known to cause dizziness,
sleepiness, nausea, loss of appetite, and disorientation.
Safety tips: Use these products in well-ventilated areas and try not
to breathe the fumes.
Furniture polish. Furniture cleaners for wood may contain petroleum
distillates and oil of cedar. Furniture polish typically contains
one or more of the following substances: ammonia, naphtha,
nitrobenzene, petroleum distillates, and phenol. These chemicals may
irritate your skin, eyes, throat, lungs, and windpipe. If swallowed,
furniture polish can cause nausea and vomiting; medical help should
be sought.
Air fresheners. Air fresheners contain formaldehyde, petroleum
distillates, p-dichlorobenzene, and aerosol propellants. These
chemicals are thought to cause cancer and brain damage. They also
are strong irritants to eyes, skin, and throat. These ingredients
are usually highly flammable. Additionally, solid fresheners usually
cause death if eaten by people or pets.
Safety tips: Do not spray air fresheners around an open flame. Use
them only in a well-ventilated areas. Baking soda, which is not
toxic, can be used as an alternative to air freshener.
Household foggers. Like insecticide and pet flea and tick products,
household foggers or "bug bombs" contain many of the same pesticide
chemicals, such as pyrethrins, permethrin, and methoprene. Exposure
to these chemicals could cause burning in your eyes or your skin or
can result in breathing problems. The contents of foggers can be
flammable.
Safety tips: Proper use of foggers requires that all windows and
doors to the specific room or entire house be closed. Therefore, all
people and pets need to get out of the house even if the specific
room being "bug bombed" is closed off. The gas emitted from these
foggers will seep under doors and through air vents. Toys, food,
plates, cups, silverware and cookware should not be left out
anywhere. After the fogger is finished, clean all table and counter
tops before using them. The house or room also should be aired out.
Turn on your air conditioner or open the windows. Use fans to help
air out the house.
In the bedroom
Mothballs. The pesticides in mothballs are chemicals known as
naphthalene and p-dichlorobenzene. Breathing the fumes from
mothballs may cause headaches and dizziness and may irritate the
skin, eyes, and throat. Extended exposure to the vapors may result
in cataract formation and liver damage.
In the backyard, pool and garden shed
Swimming pool chloride tablets. Disinfectants containing chlorine
for use in swimming pools are the chemicals calcium and sodium
hypochlorite. These chemicals are the same but in a higher
concentration than those found in other household disinfectant
cleaners because they will be diluted in a very large amount of
water. Coming in contact with these chemicals before they are
diluted cause breathing problems and a burning sensation to eyes and
skin. If swallowed, the chemicals can burn the throat and could be
fatal.
Algicides for the pool. The chemicals in algicides for swimming
pools commonly include alkyl ammonium chlorides. These chemicals can
cause breathing problems. If swallowed, they can burn the throat.
Insect repellents. The pesticides commonly found in repellents are
pyrethrins and a chemical more commonly known as DEET. The chemicals
in repellents may cause a burning sensation to eyes, skin, and
throat. The chemicals also may cause anxiety, behavioral changes,
mental confusion, and a loss of coordination.
Safety tips: If the label says that you can apply the repellent to
skin or clothes, apply it only to your clothes. It will work just as
well. Keep repellents away from the eyes and mouth and away from any
cuts on the skin. Don’t spray the repellent on your face. When you
come indoors, take a bath to wash off the chemicals and launder your
clothes.
Weed killers. The common pesticides in weed killers are diquat,
2,4-D, and glyphosate. Some weed killers can irritate the eyes and
skin. Some of these chemicals can be very harmful if swallowed or
inhaled or if large amounts get on skin and are not immediately
washed off.
Baits for rodent control. The pesticide commonly found in baits is
known as warfarin. This chemical causes internal bleeding if
ingested in large amounts.