Household cleaning products release hundreds of hazardous chemicals: study
These products may be freshening up your home — but at what cost?
A new study, published Tuesday in Chemosphere, found household cleaning products may release hundreds of hazardous compounds that could linger in the air for months, so it’s recommended to buy “green,” fragrance-free cleaners.
Scientists from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzed 30 common cleaning products, testing conventional and “green” products with and without fragrances to determine if one type is safer.
The researchers sprayed the products inside a chamber and tested the air over four hours for the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
“Our findings emphasize a way to reduce exposure to hazardous VOCs — by selecting products that are ‘green,’ especially those that are ‘green’ and ‘fragrance free,’” EWG senior toxicologist Alexis Temkin said in a statement.
The researchers detected 530 unique VOCs among the 30 products.
193 of them were determined to be hazardous.
Hazardous VOCs have the potential to lead to asthma, increased cancer risk and developmental and reproductive problems.
HDX glass cleaner, Scott’s liquid gold wood care and Lestoil heavy-duty multi-purpose cleaner were the worst when it comes to VOCs, per the study.
Only one product — Dr. Bronner’s pure-castile soap, baby unscented — did not emit any VOCs.
“Green” products released just four chemicals classified as hazardous, on average, compared with about 15 in “green” products with fragrance and 22 for conventional products.
VOCs contaminate indoor air two to five times more than outdoor air, with some estimates putting it as high as 10 times more.
These toxic chemicals can linger in the air for months.
Dr. David Andrews, a senior scientist at EWG, explained to Daily Mail: “There is no established safe exposure value or limit for VOCs nor are there specific health-based regulations for VOC emissions from cleaning products.”
“Some VOCs are much more hazardous than others, but which VOCs or VOC mixtures are causing the most harm hasn’t been established,” he continued.
Previous studies have found that these chemicals can cause significant harm when breathed in over a sustained period.
“This study is a wake-up call for consumers, researchers and regulators to be more aware of the potential risks associated with the numerous chemicals entering our indoor air,” Temkin said.
