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Toilet Bowl 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

Cleaning products contain a wide variety of ingredients that are harmful to both your health and the environment. Below is a list of chemicals that should be avoided:

Benzethonium chloride: Used as an antiseptic, a detergent, and a preservative, benzethonium chloride is a respiratory, skin, and severe eye irritant, and ingestion of as little as one gram could be fatal.

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.

Corrosive ingredients: Conventional toilet bowl cleaners generally contain highly caustic (or corrosive) ingredients, such as calcium hydroxide, calcium hypochlorite, chlorinated bleach and hydrochloric acid--all of which are severe eye, skin, nose and respiratory irritants. Inhalation of the fumes and dust can cause corrosive burns in the throat, and ingesting caustic ingredients can cause nausea, vomiting and death.

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 have been associated with low-level exposure to ethylene glycols, and occupational exposure to glycol ethers has been associated with reduced sperm count in men.

Petroleum-based ingredients: Another environmental concern with cleaning products is that many use chemicals derived from petroleum, such as propane 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 only 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.

Misleading Claims

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 volatile organic compounds (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 (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.