Potentially dangerous chemicals can be found in every room in
your home. If not properly stored or used, these products could end
up in you or your child's body or on you or your
child's skin and cause minor to serious and even
life-threatening health problems. What are these every day
household chemicals? Let's take a tour of the rooms of your
home and discover what some of these chemicals are and what health
harms they may cause.
Keep in mind that most household cleaning products and
pesticides are reasonably safe when used as directed, and that the
level of toxicity of a product is dependent on the dose of the
product used (never use more than the amount listed on the label)
and the length of exposure to the product.
Product | Hazardous Ingredient | Possible Effects | Comments |
In the garage |
Antifreeze | Ethylene glycol | Poisonous if swallowed -- can cause severe damage to heart,
kidneys, brain. Inhalation can cause dizziness. | Keep your pets away from spilled antifreeze. Its sweet smell is
attractive to animals, but licking or drinking the fluid can kill
your pet. Before purchasing antifreeze, look at the label for
products containing propylene glycol. This is a much safer
alternative. |
Motor oil | Heavy metals | Can cause nerve and kidney damage; is thought to cause
cancer |
| Hydrocarbons | Some forms thought to cause cancer. |
Batteries (car, boat, tractor) | Sulfuric acid | Can cause severe skin burns, and blindness |
| Lead | Can cause nerve and kidney damage; is thought to cause
cancer |
Windshield washer fluid | Methanol | Can damage the nervous system, liver, kidneys; inhalation can
lead to lung disease; ingestion can cause blindness | |
| Ethylene glycol | See description of ethylene above | |
| Isopropanol | Can irritates mucous membranes; ingestion results in drowsiness,
unconsciousness and death | |
Paint | Organic solvents | Can irritate eyes and skin; cause cracking of skin. Inhaling
paint fumes can result in headaches, nausea, dizziness, and
fatigue | |
In the laundry room/utility room |
Laundry detergent | Cationic, anionic, or non- ionic solutions | If swallowed, cationic detergents can cause nausea, vomiting,
shock, convulsions, and coma. Non-ionic detergents can irritate
skin and eyes | |
All-purpose cleaners | Ammonia | Fumes can irritate eyes and lungs; can cause burns or rashes on
skin; can produce deadly chloramine gas if mixed with chlorine
containing products | NEVER mix ammonia with chlorine (bleach). This mixture
produces a gas that can cause serious breathing problems and be
potentially fatal |
| Ethylene glycol monobutyl acetate | See description for ethylene above | |
| Sodium hypochlorite | Corrosive to skin and lining of nose mouth and throat; fumes
irritating to eyes and respiratory tract | |
Bleach | sodium hypochlorite solution | See description above | NEVER mix bleach with other cleaners - especially
ammonia - and also toilet bowl cleaners and drain cleaners. A
gas can be produced that can cause serious breathing problems and
even death |
Pet flea and tick treatments | Organophosphates and carbamates | Can cause headache, dizziness, twitching, nausea; shown to cause
cancer in animals | |
Insecticides | Organophosphates and carbamates | See description above | |
In the kitchen |
Dishwashing detergents | Cationic, anionic, or non- ionic solutions plus phosphates
(automatic dishwasher detergents) | Automatic products can cause skin irritation or burns; hand
dishwashing products are milder, though can cause irritation to
mouth, throat, and GI tract | |
Oven cleaners | Lye (consisting of either sodium hydroxide or potassium
hydroxide) | Extremely corrosive, burns skin and eyes; can be fatal if
swallowed; aerosols disperse chemicals, increasing inhalation
dangers | Non-toxic oven cleaners without lye are available. Look at the
label and select a product that does not contain lye. |
Antibacterial cleaner | Ammonia, Detergents, Lye | see descriptions above | |
| Cresol | Can be corrosive to tissue; damages liver, kidneys, lungs,
pancreas and spleen | |
| Phenol | Can cause central nervous system depression; severely affect
circulatory system; corrosive to skin; suspected of causing
cancer | |
| Pine oil | Can irritate eyes and lining of nose mouth and throat | |
Window and glass cleaner | Ammonia and isopropanol | see descriptions above | |
Insect bait traps | Organophosphates and carbamates | see descriptions above | |
In the bathroom |
Toilet bowel cleaners | Sodium bisulfate | Forms sulfuric acid, which is corrosive, burns skin | |
| Oxalic acid | Can damage kidney and liver; irritate eyes and respiratory
tract; corrodes mouth and stomach | |
| 5-dimethyldantoin | Forms hypochlorite in water, which is corrosive to skin and
mucous membranes | |
| Hydrochloric acid | Fumes are extremely corrosive; burns skin | |
| Phenol | see descriptions above | |
Mold and mildew removers | Chlorine and alkyl ammonium chlorides | Can cause breathing problems; if swallowed, can burn throat | |
Drain cleaners | Lye and sulfuric acid | Can cause burns to skin and in severe cases, blindness if
splashed in eye | |
In the living room |
Rug, carpet, upholstery cleaners | Perchloroethylene | Fumes cause dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, loss of appetite and
disorientation; can cause cancer with long-term exposure | |
| Naphthalene | Can damage liver; prolonged vapor exposure has led to cataract
formation | |
Furniture polish | Ammonia, naphtha, nitrobenzene, petroleum distillates, and
phenol | Can irritate your skin, eyes, throat, lungs and windpipe; if
swallowed, furniture polish can cause nausea and vomiting | |
Air fresheners | Formaldehyde | A strong irritant to the eyes, throat, skin and lungs; thought
to cause cancer | |
| Petroleum distillates | Can irritate skin, eyes, respiratory tract; may cause fatal
pulmonary edema; flammable | |
| P-Dichlorobenzene | Fumes can be irritating to skin, eyes and throat | |
| Aerosol propellants | Fumes associated with brain damage or highly flammable | |
Household foggers | Pyrethrins | Can cause severe allergic dermatitis, systemic allergic
reactions. Large amounts may cause nausea, vomiting, tinnitus,
headache,& other CNS disturbances | |
| Permethrin | Can cause itching and burning of the skin and eyes; irritate the
upper respiratory tract | |
| Methoprene | Can irritate the skin and eyes | |
In the bedroom |
Mothballs | Naphthalene,
P-Dichlorobenzene | Can cause headaches, dizziness, and irritate the skin, eyes, and
throat; cataract formation and liver damage can results from
prolonged exposure | |
In the backyard, pool and garden shed |
Swimming pool chloride tablets | Sodium (or calcium) hypochlorite | see descriptions above | |
Insect repellents | Butopyronoxyl | Can cause mild necrosis in liver and kidney -in
animals | |
| Cimethyl phthalate | Can cause central nervous system depression if swallowed | |
| Diethyltoluamide (DEET) | Can irritate sensitive skin and respiratory tract tissues as
well as loss of coordination, anxiety, behavioral changes, and
mental confusion | |
Weed killers | diquat, 2,4-D, and glyphosate | Can irritate the eyes and skin; can cause abdominal pain,
nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea | |
Rodent control | warfarin | Causes internal bleeding if ingested in large amounts | |