Objective research readily available from the American Cancer Society, the Environmental Protection Agency, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Vermont Department of Health, and numerous medical research colleges provides disturbing facts about conventional cleaning.

Since the Industrial Revolution and the endless introduction of chemicals into our lives, the incidence of cancer has increased to startling levels, so today approximately 1 out of every 2 American men and 1 out of every 3 American women will have cancer at some point during their lifetime.¹ In 1989, the EPA determined the toxic chemicals found in common cleaning products, often dispersed in fumes, are three times more likely to cause cancer than are other air pollutants. Environmental factors, defined to include chemicals cause an estimated 75% of all cancer cases in the United States.²

Cleaning products have been associated with a wide array of debilitating sicknesses and disorders, including: altering the body's metabolism, causing enzyme dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, birth defects, and developmental disorders along with some rare learning and behavioral disorders. In addition, in 2002 alone U.S. poison centers handled 212,660 total exposures to household cleaning substances, with 121,841 of these being in children under 6 according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) Toxic Exposure Surveillance System Report (TESS Report).³

Conventional all purpose cleaners contain chlorinated materials that can form organo-chloride compounds, which in turn are stored in fat cells and can enter mother's milk. Morpholine is very toxic and a liver and kidney poison. Glycol ether, Stoddard solvent, naphtha and kerosene are neurotoxins and central nervous system depressants which can cause confusion, headaches, lack of concentration, and symptoms of mental illness. Glycol ether is also a kidney and liver poison. Sodium bromide can cause confusion.

In the past 20 years, the construction of "tight" energy — efficient buildings has led to a sharp reduction in the amount of fresh air in those buildings. In these same two decades, our buildings have been filling up with fumes from paints, stains, furniture, cleaning products, and other materials, and the results are startling. According to research conducted by the EPA, the air inside the typical home is 2-5 times more polluted than the air just outside its walls. One five-year study found that the levels of certain chemicals in many living spaces were 70 times higher than they were outdoors. Another study examining indoor air quality in six cities discovered that peak concentrations of 20 toxic chemicals were a remarkable 200-500 times higher inside than the highest concentrations recorded outside. When the Consumer Products Safety Commission studied air pollution, it found that outdoor air contained an average of less than 10 volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) while indoor air contained approximately 150.⁵

Breathing air pollutants can potentially lead to allergic and asthmatic reactions, infections, and other health problems that involve the lungs, nose and throat. Exposure to other indoor air pollutants, such as VOCs found in conventional cleaners may negatively impact the lungs, brain, and nervous system.⁶

Cleaning products including: aerosol sprays; all-purpose cleaners and disinfectants; moth repellents and air fresheners; solvents; project supplies; and dry cleaned clothing may cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system. VOCs have been shown to cause cancer in animals and some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.⁷

References

1. www.acs.org/docroot www.acs.org/docroot American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) Toxic Exposure Surveillance System Report Center for Children's Health and the Environment, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Children's Unique Vulnerability to Environmental Toxins, June 1, 2002 U.S. EPA, Office of Air and Radiation, Indoor Environments Division; House Dangerous: Indoor Air Pollution in Your Home and Office, Ellen Greenfield, Interlink Books, 1991 Vermont Department of Health, Division of Health Protection; Indoor Air Quality in Homes, September, 2001 U.S. EPA, Division of Indoor Air Quality; Sources in Indoor Air Pollution — Organic Gases (Volatile Organic Compounds — VOCs)