Household products could be hazardous

Fragranced products contain volatile compounds.

Nick Bannin

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – In a recent study, household cleaning products might not be as clean or as “green” as you may believe.

A study done by scientists at the University of Washington, Battelle Memorial Institute and the U.S. Environmental Protection agency, tested 25 consumer products, which you may have in your home.. The items studied included laundry products, personal care products, cleaning supplies and air fresheners.

Of the household cleaning supplies tested, all of them contained VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, which can be hazardous and can also affect indoor air quality.

Under current regulations, most consumer products are not required to list the ingredients in the products, but may instead use the term “fragrance” in place of the ingredients.

Some studies have shown exposure to these fragranced products has lead to asthmatic issues, headaches and some other allergies.

22News asked Henry Warchol of Westfield whether labels should be more clear on cleaning supplies? “The labels should be very clear like they’re going to label smoking cigarettes now. They should be as clear as that,” said Warchol.

Since most of the ingredients aren’t listed, you won’t be able to tell ahead of time which cleaning supplies could be harmful.

Of the 25 products studied, 19 of them claimed to be “green” “non toxic” or “natural” either on the product itself or in advertising. However, of these “green” products, there was no statistical improvement in the amount of hazardous chemicals or carcinogens in the products.

The word “green” may just refer to more environmentally friendly packaging and not necessarily the contents itself. Plus there are little if any regulatory definitions on green products even when they are advertised as such.

If you want to read the study for yourself follow this link .

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