Bathroom Surface Cleaners
The Backstory
In 2005, cleaning products were responsible for 9 percent of all exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 218,316 calls. Of these, 36 resulted in death and 121,498 exposures involved children under six. And in 2004, a University of Bristol study found a link between prenatal exposure to a variety of cleaning products, such as glass cleaners and disinfectants, and childhood wheezing. Furthermore, after bubbly cleaning liquids disappear down our drains, they are treated along with sewage and other wastewater at municipal treatment plants. However, wastewater treatment plants don't remove some of these chemicals completely, discharging them into nearby waterways where they threaten water quality, fish and other wildlife.
Chemicals of Concern
Bathroom cleaners contain a wide variety of ingredients that are harmful to both your health and the environment, and the associated health hazards can persist even after cleaning is finished, when residues mix with steam to create irritating vapors. Below is a list of chemicals that should be avoided:
Chlorine and Ammonia: Both produce fumes that are highly irritating to eyes, nose, throat and lungs and should not be used by people with asthma or lung or heart problems. These two chemicals pose an added threat because they can react with each other to produce lung-damaging chloramine gases. Mixing chlorine bleach with a product containing an acid (such as drain openers, toilet bowl cleaners and vinegar) results in chlorine gas, which can cause long-lasting and severe irritation to eyes, nose and throat. Ammonia (also ammonium hydroxide and ammonium chloride) has also been found to reduce the reproductive capacity and early growth of aquatic species including rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and clams. A 2002 U.S. Geological Survey study correlated the combination of exceptionally high concentrations of ammonia and higher than normal water temperatures with recent incidents of "fish die-offs" in Oregon in 1996, 1997 and 2003.
d-Limonene: Commonly found in citrus-based cleaners, d-Limonene is a high-odor volatile organic compound (VOC) that irritates skin and eyes. It's also been found to cause tumors in laboratory animals.
Fragrances: Because the chemical formulas of fragrances are considered trade secrets, companies aren't required to list the individual ingredients but merely label the entire formula as "fragrance" on a product's label. Often, fragrance formulas include phthalates, hormone-disrupting chemical compounds that may contribute to obesity, increase cancer rates and cause reproductive and developmental damage. Reproductive effects associated with hormone disruptors include decreased sperm counts, increased rates of male birth defects such as cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and hypospadias (where the urethra is on the underside of the penis). Fragrances can also cause acute effects such as respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing and watery eyes in sensitive individuals or allergy and asthma sufferers. Of particular concern, added fragrances can also mask chemical odors that might otherwise alert consumers when they're being overexposed to lung-damaging chemicals such as chlorine or ammonia. Finally, phthalates can build up in dust and contribute to asthma and allergies in children.
Glycol ethers: Glycol ethers, such as butyl cellosolve (also known as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether and 2-Butoxyethanol), are industrial solvents that can cause anemia, central nervous system depression and irritation of the eyes, nose and skin. In animal studies, birth defects and testicular damage has been associated with low-level exposure to ethylene glycols, and occupational exposure to glycol ethers has been associated with reduced sperm count in men.
Isobutane and Butane: Used as fuel in cigarette lighters and camp stoves and as a propellant in cleaning products and breath fresheners, isobutane and butane are highly flammable asphyxiants, can be respiratory irritants when inhaled, and can cause chemical burns at high concentrations.
Isopropanol (also isopropyl alcohol and rubbing alcohol ): Studies have found isopropanol to be a potent a central nervous system depressant. Moderate exposure can cause mild eye, nose and throat irritation, while inhaling the vapor and ingesting or absorbing large quantities can cause headache, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting and coma.
Monoethanolamine (MEA) (also ethanolamine and 2-aminoethanol): Contact with MEA causes severe eye and skin burns, and inhalation irritates eyes, skin and respiratory systems, and may cause asthma. Ingestion can cause central nervous system depression, increased blood pressure, sedation, coma, and death.
Petroleum-based ingredients: Many cleaning products use chemicals derived from petroleum, such as propane, butane and isobutane, contributing to the depletion of this non-renewable resource and increasing our nation's dependence on imported oil.
Pine oil: Pine oil is irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes, and causes weakness and central nervous system depression when ingested. Ingesting as little as 14 grams for children and 8 ounces for adults of a product containing pine oil can be fatal.
Triclosan: The most common ingredient used in antibacterial and antimicrobial cleaners, triclosan provides little additional benefit beyond those of plain soap, hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. In 2000, the World Health Organization reported that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in medicine and in livestock, coupled with rampant use of antibacterial soaps and other germ-killing products was contributing to a rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, particularly those that cause pneumonia, tuberculosis, ear infections, meningitis and staph infections. Recently deemed the "superbug," one particularly resilient strain of staph causing bacteria, MSRA, is resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics and is expected to infect more than 90,000 Americans each year. Furthermore, when the chemical combines with chlorinated water, it forms the probable human carcinogen chloroform. According to a May 2002 study by the U.S. Geological Survey, triclosan was detected in 57.6 percent of stream water samples from across the U.S. and has been found to cause thyroid disruption and trigger rapid transformation of tadpoles into frogs. See Antibacterial Soaps, Body Washes and Towels for more info.
Though less common than the chemicals above, bathroom cleaners may also contain the neurotoxin toluene and hydrochloric acid, which can cause severe burns from skin contact and inhalation of fumes.
Don't believe "organic" cleaning products are any safer than other substances. Although "organic" in the grocery store refers to foods grown without synthetic pesticides, in chemistry it refers to chemicals that are carbon-based, including some VOCs that release harmful fumes and may cause brain damage or cancer. Though some ingredients, such as plant oils, can be "certified organic," the USDA's National Organic Program doesn't yet regulate household cleaning products.
The label "biodegradable" can also be misleading, even when it's accurate. "Biodegradable" does not mean environmentally safe. DDT, for instance, biodegrades into DDD and DDE, which are both EPA-designated probable human carcinogens, just as DDT is. Terms such as "natural," "eco-friendly" and "non-toxic" shouldn't be equated with safety, as these terms aren't verified by a third party and have no official definition.
It helps if these labels are backed up with specific ingredient information, such as "solvent-free," "no petroleum-based ingredients," "no phosphates," etc, but even these more specific claims are not third-party verified, so read ingredients carefully. When the complete ingredient list is not printed on the label or on the company's website, contact the manufacturer and insist they disclose ingredients.
A Final Note
The plastic bottles used to package cleaning products also pose environmental problems by contributing to the mounds of solid waste that must be landfilled, incinerated or, in not enough cases, recycled. Most cleaners are bottled in high-density polyethylene (HDPE, denoted by the #2 inside the recycling triangle) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET, PETE or #1) which are accepted for recycling in a growing number of communities. However, some are bottled in polyvinyl chloride (PVC or #3). PVC, otherwise known as vinyl, is made from cancer-causing chemicals such as vinyl chloride, and it forms dioxin, a potent carcinogen, as a byproduct of production and incineration. As a final insult, most sanitation departments do not accept PVC for recycling; less than 1 percent of all PVC is recycled each year. And those pesky spray nozzles are often made from more than one material and don't have a number identifying the type of plastic, so are inevitably landfilled.
