William Penn Life, 2004 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2004-09-01 / 9. szám
HealthPage Toxins in the home Are the toxic chemicals in the products we use dangerous? THANKS TO MR. YUK, most of us are aware of the dangers of toxic chemicals found in many of the products we use in our homes. Yet, we continue to read and see news reports about toxins which can harm us through breathing their fumes or by coming in contact with our skin, and we are shocked to learn we use some of these chemicals in our daily lives. So, naturally, we ask ourselves: "Have I damaged my health by using products containing toxic chemicals?" According to the National Institute on Environmental Health Sciences, we must first understand what is meant by the term "toxicity." Somewhere on the order of 70,000 different chemicals have been identified as toxic. For many chemicals, there is a dose at which there are no toxic effects, there is a dose at which the effects are reversible, and there is a dose at which the effects may have permanent consequences. An example of some toxic chemicals that many of us are exposed to regularly are caffeine, tobacco and alcohol. At doses normally consumed by the average person, the "high" effect felt by individuals can vary from one person to the next. For example, one person may be able to drink five cups of coffee without visible effects, while another person Health Links For more information about toxic chemicals in the products you use, log onto the website of the National Institutes on Environmental Health Sciences at: 3 www.niehs.nih.gov and do a search for “household products.” might get the shakes after two cups. At some point, each of these chemicals can have a much more serious effect. At extremely high doses (much higher than the average person can consume on a regular basis), caffeine can be a carcinogen. At high doses, the nicotine in tobacco can be a very potent poison causing nausea, vomiting, convulsions and even death. And, at high doses, alcohol can cause birth defects, brain damage, coma, and death. These are examples of toxic chemicals from which some have evaluated the benefit versus the risk, and have made a conscious decision to continue their exposure to these toxic chemicals, despite the risks. So the issue is not whether a chemical is toxic, it is the nature of the toxicity, and whether there is a less toxic alternative which, when used with the proper precautions, can have the same result. Household cleaning products are definitely an area where we can exercise some choice over the degree of toxicity to which we expose ourselves and our families. If you examine the label of containers for household cleaners carefully, you will note that many provide safe handling procedures. These procedures are to help minimize your exposure to the hazards of the product. Some procedures are hazardous because they can be irritating to skin or mucous membranes; some products are poisonous when swallowed; some can cause dizziness, headache, and nausea when used in an unventilated area (such as a bathroom); and some can produce toxic by-products when mixed with other cleaning products. One thing to bear in mind, cleaning products are not persistent in their environment. That is, once you have used the product, capped it off, rinsed appropriately, and otherwise completed your cleaning task, the hazard has dramatically diminished. For most products, the hazard exists only during the use of the product, not afterward. That means that if you use the products properly during a period of time that other members of your family are away, their exposure will be negligible. If you continue to detect the odor of the cleaning agent after you are done (ammonia, for example, can be particularly pungent), use vents and fans to help move the inside air out, and to bring in fresh air from the outside. If you are concerned about the toxicity of the products that you are currently using, make a comparison of that product with other similar products. For a product such as disinfectant to do its job, it must have some toxic properties. Take a look at the products you now use and evaluate the ones that make you uncomfortable. If the ingredients of those products are not listed, call the manufacturer and request an ingredient list. (Information in this article comes from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.) IffPLl William Penn Life, September2004 5
