Products Cause Bad Air by Liora Leah Blog entry

Blog: Mother Earth Heals
by Liora Leah

Products Cause Bad Air

Ordinary household products that people use daily are dangerous to our health and the health of the environment, contributing to smog and indoor air pollution.

Date: 5/26/2005 11:09:41 PM ( 19 y ) ... viewed 5819 times

I was inspired to write about toxins in ordinary personal care and household products after I read a series of articles published by the Los Angeles Times in March 2003.

One article ("Chemicals in Home a Big Smog Source", Sunday, March 9, 2003, Gary Polakovic, Times staff writer) stated that "ordinary household products such as cleaners, cosmetics, and paints are now the Southland's (California's) second-leading source of air pollution, after auto tailpipe emissions...smog forming chemicals escape with every squirt of antiperspirant, each bubble of detergent and every spritz of aerosol hair spray".

The list of products that are offensive to our own health and contribute to poor air quality is quite extensive, and continues with ordinary products that most people use daily: "...cleaning compounds, glues, polishes, floor finishes, perfume, rubbing alcohol, room fresheners, car wax, lawn care products...On a typical day, about 108 tons of smog-forming fumes are emitted from such products used in houses and ...small businesses " in four Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernadino.

The article continues with: "But even before the chemicals escape into the environment, they contribute to indoor air pollution, which is typically more dangerous than smog because the chemicals concentrate nearer to people." Dr. Kaye Kilburn, professor of internal medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine, is quoted as saying: "They are the same solvents that are used in industry to degrease and do other things...When they evaporate, they are transported directly to the brain, where they can be as intoxicating as ether or chloroform. These are palpably dangerous to health."

I decided to educate consumers about the health and safety hazards of using such products in their homes, and how the use of such products is an enormous detriment to the environment. I also want to educate consumers so they can improve and safeguard the health of themselves and their family, and help protect the environment, by using home products that are less-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally friendlier--products that are already out on the market and easily obtainable and affordable.

Look for more product information on these blogs:

Homemade Cleaning Supplies: http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976256 Homemade cleaning products use four simple ingredients: vinegar, soap, a "scrubber", and water. Oh, and don't forget the "elbow grease"! Read on for "green" cleaning in your home!

More Eco-Cleaning Products! http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976334 Oven cleaner, window cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, unclogging drains, alternatives to moth balls, floor and furniture polish, and more!

"Green"Laundry/Cleaning Products http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976246 Earth-friendlier Cleaning and Laundry Products I recommend, free of chlorine bleach and artificial fragrances, made without nonrenewable petroleum-based chemicals, with no optical brighteners or dyes, and biodegradable!

Eco-Laundry http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976578
Eco-friendlier laundry products and equipment that have less of an impact on the health of people and the environment can readily be found in today's market.

Dangerous Dryer Sheets Stop using dryer sheets! They contain toxic chemicals that coat your clothes.

"Eco"-Dry Cleaning http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=1162554 I put "ECO" in quotes because there really isn't a true "Green" solution to dry cleaning except to buy clothing and products that don't need to be dry cleaned! But if you have something that just can't be cleaned any other way, read on for safer dry cleaning alternatives and resources...

Eco-Bathroom http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976199 REVISED: We can lighten our impact on the environment by adopting water-saving practices and using recycled paper products in the bathroom!

"Green" Tampons/Pads http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976547 Seventh Generation and Natracare are two of my favorite "Green products" companies. Their tampons and pads are chlorine-free and use organic cotton, so Mother Earth and women both benefit.

ReducingToxins in Home Reducing PBDE's: Flame retardant chemicals, known as polybrominated diphenyls(PBDE's) found in furniture, clothing, and carpet padding manufactured in the U.S and Europe have been found to accumulate in women's breast milk. They have also found their way to the Arctic, poisoning Indigenous peoples and endangering Arctic polar bears and other wildlife. What you can do to reduce PBDE's and other toxic chemicals in your home and environment: http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976448

"Greener" Computers! http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976580#i Before buying that new computer, check out the EPA's tool to find all the top high performance computers that are the most energy efficient, have the least heavy metals such as mercury, and are easy to recycle. Green electronics made easy: check out the EPEAT tool.

Eco-Lawn Care http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976182 UPDATED: American lawns generate massive amounts of "green waste", waste water, require tons of herbicides, and cost the average homeowner much money and time. Read about ECO-lawn care!

Natural Ant Control http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976284 Natural Ant Control suggestions from readers of the San Diego Grapevine, an on-line group for folks interested in Spiritual and ecological issues.!

Stop Junk Mail/Save Trees http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976254The average American adult receives almost 560 pieces of junk mail each year. One hundred million trees are ground up every year to produce the 4.5 million tons of solicitations that clutter our mailboxes. Read on for what YOU can do to stop junk mail and save trees.!

Buy Organic Flowers http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976497 Buy organic flowers for Mother's Day, and every day, as an action that supports a healthy, pesticide-free environment for all of our loved ones!

Eco-XMAS Trees The Holidays are almost here! How about an eco-friendly Christmas Tree this year? Here are some resources to guide you: http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976544

Related Blogs:

Toxins in Cosmetics: http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976171

Toxins in Perfume: http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976234

Male Birth Defects Increase http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976276

Toxic Baby Lotion http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=1108938

Toxins in Newborns: http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976267

Pollution Hurts Fetuses http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=1041363

Green-Healthy Schools http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976449

Organic Food Protects Kids http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976396

Breast Cancer and the Environment http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976473

Mercury/Autism Link http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976235

Floride in Drinking Water http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=976388