By William Peakin
The Observer
http://www.observer.co.uk
2-26-1
Tens of thousands of Britons could suffer anything from
chronic ill-health to early death because of toxic chemicals
used in consumer products in homes, according to a new book.
Fewer than a quarter of the 70,000 chemicals used in toiletries
and cleaning products have been subjected to a full safety
investigation, while others, officially classed as hazardous
waste, are frequently found in products from baby lotion
to eye drops and cleaning fluids, according to Pat Thomas,
author of Cleaning Yourself to Death.
Women who work at home have a 55 per cent higher death rate
from cancer than those who work outside the home, a statistic
that Thomas argues is closely related to the increase in
household cleaning products and toiletries.
“We spend 90 per cent of our time at home but some
of the most toxic chemicals we come into contact with are
not blown in through the window from some anonymous factory
or a passing car,” she said. “They are bought
in good faith in stores and supermarkets and brought back
into our homes by us, in the form of every day cleaning products.”
Thomas believes that the lack of legislation has meant that
chemicals banned in other, more tightly controlled areas
are still commonly used in thousands of household products.
She believes this contributes heavily to the US Environmental
Protection Agency's recent finding that the air quality in
homes is more toxic than the outdoor air, often containing
between two and five times the concentration of toxic chemicals.
“Most people cross their fingers and pray that the
companies who put these chemical soups together really do
have the consumer's welfare and best interests at heart,
but the emerging evidence is that many of these chemicals
have the potential to make us and our children very ill indeed,” she
said.
Although no national research has been carried out in Britain,
a survey by the National Institute of Occupational Safety
and Health in America found that of 2,983 chemicals found
in personal care products, more than 30 per cent were toxic.
According to Thomas, toiletries and cleaning products regularly
include ingredients which contain carcinogens, hormone-disrupting
chemicals and central nervous system disrupters.
“This has remained hidden because people assume that
if we're living longer, we must be healthier,” said
Thomas. “But we are actually strikingly unhealthy:
chronic diseases are on the rise, respiratory problems such
as asthma and bronchitis have doubled in recent years, and
vague disorders such as sinusitis and allergic rhinitis are
becoming major problems. Heart disease, diabetes and thyroid
problems are also on the rise and infertility of both males
and females is becoming more common, as are other hormonally
linked disorders.”
Thomas found high levels of sodium lauryl sulphate, a harsh
detergent commonly used as an engine degreaser, in toothpastes,
shampoos and cleansers. One of the most dangerous chemicals
Thomas found was nitrosamine, a carcinogenic commonly used
in baby and body lotions, facial moisturizers and shampoos.
“In the 1970s nitrosamine contamination of bacon and
other cured meat became a worldwide public health issue,” she
said. “A typical portion of bacon will now contain
a single microgram of nitrosamine. The amount of nitrosamine
that could be absorbed from a single dose of shampoo, on
the other hand, is often 100 times that.” |
