Potentially dangerous chemicals can be found in every room in your home. If not properly stored or used, these products could end up in you or your child’s body or on you or your child’s skin and cause minor to serious and even life-threatening health problems.
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.
Basement Mold Removal
Your basement is one of the most common areas of the home for mold to prosper. Mold is a fungus and, like many living organisms, all it needs to grow is the presence of water and something to feed on. Basement mold is so common because these conditions are so easily created. Dry basements are notoriously difficult to create and maintain.
Basement mold can land and feed on wood, ceiling tiles, wallpaper, paints, carpet, sheet rock, brick, or insulation—and that’s just to name the most common feeding materials. There isn’t a basement that doesn’t have something for mold to feed on. Of course, not all basements are infested with basement mold. Part of this is simply the randomness of living organisms, but doing your best to reduce moisture levels and water leaks will reduce the likelihood that you have to deal with basement mold.
Allergens & Irritants
Asthma is one of our nation’s most common chronic health conditions. Many substances can aggravate allergies or increase the severity of asthma symptoms in individuals who are sensitive to these allergens or irritants.
Cigarette Smoke
Cigarette smoke contains a number of toxic chemicals and irritants. People with allergies may be more sensitive to cigarette smoke than others and research studies indicate that smoking may aggravate allergies.
Smoking does not just harm smokers but also those around them. Research has shown that children and spouses of smokers tend to have more respiratory infections and asthma than those of non-smokers. In addition, exposure to secondhand smoke can increase the risk of allergic complications such as sinusitis and bronchitis.
Common symptoms of smoke irritation are burning or watery eyes, nasal congestion, coughing, hoarseness and shortness of breath presenting as a wheeze.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are one of the most common and allergenic of indoor pests.
Recent studies have found a strong association between the presence of cockroaches and increases in the severity of asthma symptoms in individuals who are sensitive to cockroach allergens.
The proteins found in cockroach saliva are particularly allergenic but the body and droppings of cockroaches also contain allergenic proteins.
Dust Mites
Dust mites are tiny microscopic relatives of the spider and live on mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, carpets and curtains.
These tiny creatures feed on the flakes of skin that people and pets shed daily and they thrive in warm and humid environments.
Pets & Animals
Many people think animal allergies are caused by the fur or feathers of their pet. In fact, allergies are actually aggravated by:
- proteins secreted by oil glands and shed as dander
- proteins in saliva (which stick to fur when animals lick themselves)
- aerosolized urine from rodents and guinea pigs
Keep in mind that you can sneeze with and without your pet being present. Although an animal may be out of sight, their allergens are not. This is because pet allergens are carried on very small particles. As a result pet allergens can remain circulating in the air and remain on carpets and furniture for weeks and months after a pet is gone. Allergens may also be present in public buildings, schools, etc. where there are no pets.
Ragweed Pollen
Ragweed and other weeds such as curly dock, lambs quarters, pigweed, plantain, sheep sorrel and sagebrush are some of the most prolific producers of pollen allergens.
Although the ragweed pollen season runs from August to November, ragweed pollen levels usually peak in mid-September in many areas in the country.
In addition, pollen counts are highest between 5:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. and on dry, hot and windy days.
Skin Allergies
Bumps, itching, redness and other skin conditions are very common, and their cause may not be easily identifiable. Rashes can be caused by many things, including plants (poison ivy, for example), allergic reactions to a medication or a food, or an illness (measles or chickenpox, for example). Eczema and hives, both of which are related to allergies, are two of the most common skin rashes.
Atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is the most common form of eczema, affecting between 10 and 20 percent of children and 1 to 3 percent of adults. If you have atopic dermatitis, your skin may become dry, red, irritated and itchy. Sometimes, especially when infected, your skin may have small, fluid-filled bumps that ooze a clear or yellowish liquid. People with atopic dermatitis often have a family history of allergies.
Hives
Hives (urticaria) are red bumps or welts that appear on the body. The condition is called acute urticaria if it lasts for no more than six weeks, and chronic urticaria if it persists beyond six weeks. Acute urticaria is most commonly caused by exposure to an allergen or by an infection. The cause of chronic urticaria is largely unknown.
Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is a reaction that appears when the skin comes in contact with an irritant or an allergen. Symptoms include a rash, blisters, itching and burning. Skin irritants, such as water, soap, detergent, fabric softeners and shampoos, are the most common cause of irritant contact dermatitis.
A reaction to some products — such as shaving lotion, some perfumes and sunscreen — can occur if the skin on which the allergen is applied is also exposed to sunlight. This is called photoallergic contact dermatitis.
Allergic contact dermatitis results from exposure to a substance to which you’re allergic, such as a fragrance, metals (including nickel, a component of stainless steel), adhesives, nail polish, topical medications, plants and rubber gloves.
Latex allergy
Latex allergy usually develops after repeated exposure to latex products, including balloons or medical gloves. Symptoms may include hives, itching or a stuffy or runny nose. Some people may experience asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing.
Symptoms begin within minutes of exposure to latex products; direct physical contact isn’t needed to trigger an allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis and severe asthmatic reactions have been caused by exposure to airborne particles of powder from latex gloves.
Allergic reactions to latex are less common now, since many hospitals and health care workers have switched to nonlatex gloves or low-protein latex gloves.
Food Allergies
Food allergies can cause flare-ups. Since an allergic reaction to food (either by skin contact during food preparation or by eating the food) can trigger an AD flare-up, it is important to identify the trigger foods. Diagnosing food allergies is extremely difficult. The surest way is to observe a worsening of eczema when a particular food is eaten. Sometimes this is only a coincidence with flaring and needs to be verified with a food challenge, where the suspected food is eaten in the doctor’s office. Withholding foods should be done only under the supervision of a physician, as serious nutritional damage can be caused by the elimination of foods suspected to cause flare-ups. Patients are seldom allergic to more than one or two foods.
A skin test, made by scratching the skin with the suspected allergen, is helpful if the test is negative (indication that the particular food will not affect the patient). If the scratched area becomes inflamed, the test is considered positive. But, unfortunately, positive results are difficult to interpret and are accurate only about 20 percent of the time. At best, positive tests provide a clue to a possible allergy but should not be accepted as the last word. Additionally, because the skin of AD sufferers is so sensitive, simply scratching it can cause inflammation, making the likelihood of a false positive skin test even higher. A blood test is another type of test to detect food allergies. Blood tests also have a very high rate of false positives and may be expensive.
Product | Hazardous Ingredient | Possible Effects |
---|---|---|
In the garage |
||
Antifreeze | Ethylene glycol | Poisonous if swallowed — can cause severe damage to heart, kidneys, brain. Inhalation can cause dizziness. |
Keep your pets away from spilled antifreeze. Its sweet smell is attractive to animals, but licking or drinking the fluid can kill your pet. Before purchasing antifreeze, look at the label for products containing propylene glycol. This is a much safer alternative. | ||
Motor oil | Heavy metals | Can cause nerve and kidney damage; is thought to cause cancer |
Hydrocarbons | Some forms thought to cause cancer. | |
Batteries (car, boat, tractor) | Sulfuric acid | Can cause severe skin burns, and blindness |
Lead | Can cause nerve and kidney damage; is thought to cause cancer | |
Windshield washer fluid | Methanol | Can damage the nervous system, liver, kidneys; inhalation can lead to lung disease; ingestion can cause blindness |
Ethylene glycol | Poisonous if swallowed — can cause severe damage to heart, kidneys, brain. Inhalation can cause dizziness. | |
Isopropanol | Can irritates mucous membranes; ingestion results in drowsiness, unconsciousness and death | |
Paint | Organic solvents | Can irritate eyes and skin; cause cracking of skin. Inhaling paint fumes can result in headaches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue |
In the laundry room/utility room |
||
Laundry detergent | Cationic, anionic, or non- ionic solutions | If swallowed, cationic detergents can cause nausea, vomiting, shock, convulsions, and coma. Non-ionic detergents can irritate skin and eyes |
All-purpose cleaners | Ammonia | Fumes can irritate eyes and lungs; can cause burns or rashes on skin; can produce deadly chloramine gas if mixed with chlorine containing products |
NEVER mix ammonia with chlorine (bleach). This mixture produces a gas that can cause serious breathing problems and be potentially fatal | ||
Ethylene glycol monobutyl acetate | Poisonous if swallowed — can cause severe damage to heart, kidneys, brain. Inhalation can cause dizziness. | |
Sodium hypochlorite | Corrosive to skin and lining of nose mouth and throat; fumes irritating to eyes and respiratory tract | |
Bleach | Sodium hypochlorite solution | Corrosive to skin and lining of nose mouth and throat; fumes irritating to eyes and respiratory tract |
NEVER mix bleach with other cleaners – especially ammonia – and also toilet bowl cleaners and drain cleaners. A gas can be produced that can cause serious breathing problems and even death | ||
Pet flea and tick treatments | Organophosphates and carbamates | Can cause headache, dizziness, twitching, nausea; shown to cause cancer in animals |
Insecticides | Organophosphates and carbamates | Can cause headache, dizziness, twitching, nausea; shown to cause cancer in animals |
In the kitchen |
||
Dishwashing detergents | Cationic, anionic, or non- ionic solutions plus phosphates (automatic dishwasher detergents) | Automatic products can cause skin irritation or burns; hand dishwashing products are milder, though can cause irritation to mouth, throat, and GI tract |
Oven cleaners | Lye (consisting of either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide) | Extremely corrosive, burns skin and eyes; can be fatal if swallowed; aerosols disperse chemicals, increasing inhalation dangers |
Non-toxic oven cleaners without lye are available. Look at the label and select a product that does not contain lye. | ||
Antibacterial cleaner | Ammonia, Detergents, Lye | see descriptions above |
Cresol | Can be corrosive to tissue; damages liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas and spleen | |
Phenol | Can cause central nervous system depression; severely affect circulatory system; corrosive to skin; suspected of causing cancer | |
Pine oil | Can irritate eyes and lining of nose mouth and throat | |
Window and glass cleaner | Ammonia | Fumes can irritate eyes and lungs; can cause burns or rashes on skin; can produce deadly chloramine gas if mixed with chlorine containing products |
isopropanol | Can irritates mucous membranes; ingestion results in drowsiness, unconsciousness and death | |
Insect bait traps | Organophosphates and carbamates | Can cause headache, dizziness, twitching, nausea; shown to cause cancer in animals |
In the bathroom |
||
Toilet bowel cleaners | Sodium bisulfate | Forms sulfuric acid, which is corrosive, burns skin |
Oxalic acid | Can damage kidney and liver; irritate eyes and respiratory tract; corrodes mouth and stomach | |
5-dimethyldantoin | Forms hypochlorite in water, which is corrosive to skin and mucous membranes | |
Hydrochloric acid | Fumes are extremely corrosive; burns skin | |
Phenol | Can cause central nervous system depression; severely affect circulatory system; corrosive to skin; suspected of causing cancer | |
Mold and mildew removers | Chlorine and alkyl ammonium chlorides | Can cause breathing problems; if swallowed, can burn throat |
Drain cleaners | Lye and sulfuric acid | Can cause burns to skin and in severe cases, blindness if splashed in eye |
In the living room |
||
Rug, carpet, upholstery cleaners | Perchloroethylene | Fumes cause dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, loss of appetite and disorientation; can cause cancer with long-term exposure |
Naphthalene | Can damage liver; prolonged vapor exposure has led to cataract formation | |
Furniture polish | Ammonia, naphtha, nitrobenzene, petroleum distillates, and phenol | Can irritate your skin, eyes, throat, lungs and windpipe; if swallowed, furniture polish can cause nausea and vomiting |
Air fresheners | Formaldehyde | A strong irritant to the eyes, throat, skin and lungs; thought to cause cancer |
Petroleum distillates | Can irritate skin, eyes, respiratory tract; may cause fatal pulmonary edema; flammable | |
P-Dichlorobenzene | Fumes can be irritating to skin, eyes and throat | |
Aerosol propellants | Fumes associated with brain damage or highly flammable | |
Household foggers | Pyrethrins | Can cause severe allergic dermatitis, systemic allergic reactions. Large amounts may cause nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, headache, & other CNS disturbances |
Permethrin | Can cause itching and burning of the skin and eyes; irritate the upper respiratory tract | |
Methoprene | Can irritate the skin and eyes | |
In the bedroom |
||
Mothballs | Naphthalene, P-Dichlorobenzene | Can cause headaches, dizziness, and irritate the skin, eyes, and throat; cataract formation and liver damage can results from prolonged exposure |
In the backyard, pool and garden shed |
||
Swimming pool chloride tablets | Sodium (or calcium) hypochlorite | Corrosive to skin and lining of nose mouth and throat; fumes irritating to eyes and respiratory tract |
Insect repellents | Butopyronoxyl | Can cause mild necrosis in liver and kidney –in animals |
Cimethyl phthalate | Can cause central nervous system depression if swallowed | |
Diethyltoluamide (DEET) | Can irritate sensitive skin and respiratory tract tissues as well as loss of coordination, anxiety, behavioral changes, and mental confusion | |
Weed killers | diquat, 2,4-D, and glyphosate | Can irritate the eyes and skin; can cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea |
Rodent control | warfarin | Causes internal bleeding if ingested in large amounts |