Greg Hrinya, Associate Editor09.11.15
Researchers have found that household products like floor cleaners and disinfectants may pose certain health risks, and many of the hazardous chemicals are not listed on the products’ labels. These chemicals were also found in products that claimed to be “all-natural,” “safer,” and “fragrance free.”
The tests of more than 200 common household products found chemicals that can be linked to asthma and hormone disruption. Soaps, lotions, detergents, shaving cream, sunscreen, and other personal care products were also tested.
"This is the first large, peer-reviewed study looking at hormone-disrupting and asthma-related chemicals in a wide range of consumer products," said study author Robin Dodson, a research scientist at the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, MA, USA, in The Province.
The chemicals included types of phthalates, which have been linked to reproductive abnormalities and asthma, and bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical currently being removed from baby products and toys. The study examined major brands like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Foodhold USA and Church & Dwight.
"These results show we are exposed to a wide range of chemicals of concern in everyday products, and the chemicals aren’t always listed on the labels," Dodson added. "That can be a basis for modernizing our chemical policy in the United States. It seems these chemicals are not being adequately tested before being put on the shelf.”
The study, entitled “Endocrine Disruptors and Asthma-Associated Chemicals in Consumer Products,” was initially published in the March 8 online edition of Environmental Health Perspectives.
While the research is not entirely conclusive, Matt Perzanowski, an associate professor of environmental health science at Columbia University, believes the label should raise awareness, as most people do not know what is in everyday products. “They’re identifying exposures to chemicals that a consumer wouldn’t be able to identify and also showing there is a broad spectrum of these exposures to these chemicals that people use," he explained.
The tests of more than 200 common household products found chemicals that can be linked to asthma and hormone disruption. Soaps, lotions, detergents, shaving cream, sunscreen, and other personal care products were also tested.
"This is the first large, peer-reviewed study looking at hormone-disrupting and asthma-related chemicals in a wide range of consumer products," said study author Robin Dodson, a research scientist at the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, MA, USA, in The Province.
The chemicals included types of phthalates, which have been linked to reproductive abnormalities and asthma, and bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical currently being removed from baby products and toys. The study examined major brands like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Foodhold USA and Church & Dwight.
"These results show we are exposed to a wide range of chemicals of concern in everyday products, and the chemicals aren’t always listed on the labels," Dodson added. "That can be a basis for modernizing our chemical policy in the United States. It seems these chemicals are not being adequately tested before being put on the shelf.”
The study, entitled “Endocrine Disruptors and Asthma-Associated Chemicals in Consumer Products,” was initially published in the March 8 online edition of Environmental Health Perspectives.
While the research is not entirely conclusive, Matt Perzanowski, an associate professor of environmental health science at Columbia University, believes the label should raise awareness, as most people do not know what is in everyday products. “They’re identifying exposures to chemicals that a consumer wouldn’t be able to identify and also showing there is a broad spectrum of these exposures to these chemicals that people use," he explained.