October 05, 2012
A recent article on WebMD had some eye-opening statistics on the chemicals used, both by janitorial services and by household cleaners.
Ninety-three percent [of the products] provided ingredient lists that were incomplete or not specific enough, and the researchers were were surprised to see a few 'green' brands were still a little cagey about their ingredients.”
They tested thousands of chemicals, and found:
- About 53% of the products had ingredients known to harm the lungs. Examples are benzalkonium chloride, found in antibacterial cleaners, and chlorine bleach.
- About 22% had chemicals linked with asthma in previously healthy people.
- Some products use formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen, as a preservative, or it is released by other preservatives in the products.
- The chemical 1,4-dioxane, suspected of being a human carcinogen, is a common contaminant of detergent chemicals.
- Chloroform, also a suspected carcinogen, can escape in fumes released by products containing chlorine bleach.
- Sodium borate, sometimes called borax or boric acid, is added to many products. It can be a hormone disrupter.
The takeaway for us? A good safety program and safety training is key in reducing risk, both in worker's comp and in the exposure to chemicals that might cause problems. Further, cleaning products are largely unregulated, with one exception being that the EPA requires a product that is antibacterial to disclose the name of the antibacterial used.
To read the whole article at WebMD, Click Here.
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