Effects Of Cleaning Products On The Environment
3 July 2008 – 7:32 pmSome of the most widely used home cleaning products are harmful to environment, as well as living beings.
There are more than 70,000 chemicals used in cleaning products. Amongst these, less than 2% are tested in order to find its impact on human and aquatic life. Most of the respiratory disorders like asthma are triggered by volatile organic compounds. Emissions from vehicle contribute a major part to these compounds. If you analyse the remaining contribution, it is obvious that cleaning products plays a major role. These are responsible to the formation of smog and they might inhibit plant growth. When these products are disposed the chemicals in it contributes to the toxic spill. These chemicals found to be slow to bio degrade and are found in the endocrine systems of fish and mammals. That is the main reason behind the warning issued that fish tanks to be cleaned only with pure water and natural salt. Algal bloom is a condition of a rapid increase of algae in fresh and marine water, will lead to the gradual death of marine life. One of the reasons for algal bloom is the excess of certain chemicals which arrive from certain cleaning products. In order to overcome this problem in certain areas phosphate is banned. But still some products available in supermarkets contain phosphate.
Some harmful chemicals contained in cleaning products will destroy the natural method used in waste water treatment. These products should not be disposed in a septic tank which will in turn kill the bacteria which helps for the decomposition. The main ingredients contained in household cleaning items include alkalis and acids.
Alkalis which are soluble are excellent for removing dirt without much effort .It is very strong enough to cause burns and internal injuries if swallowed. Acids are used to remove rustic stains and hard water deposits. Oxalic acid which is commonly used for cleaning toilet bowls is extremely poisonous.
We might think that soaps and detergents are less harmful. But the fact is different hydrocarbons are used in manufacturing soap. These are taken from plants or animals in soap and the one used in detergent is from crude oil. Sulphuric acid is added to the hydrocarbon to produce a molecule which is similar to fatty acids. These molecule specifically benzene is best known for the cause of cancer and that will affect skin and eyes.
In addition to the environmental pollution, caused by using harmful cleaning products, we human beings are also at high risk. Many of the chemicals found inside the house are responsible for allergies, birth defects, cancer, skin disease, asthma, loss of sleep etc.
A recent study found that housewives have the higher risk of cancer than the women working outside the home. Most of the people prefer convenience over health benefits .They can’t be blamed because all are very busy with work and other factors in this fast life. It is necessary to create awareness through campaigns and other such means in order to make citizens aware of health hazard issues related to home cleaning products.