Examining Toxic Chemicals in Household Products and Chemicals
in Household Cleaners for a Toxin Free Home

* Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., warns the Surgeon General. Radon is a natural radioactive gas which can seep into homes through cracks in the basement, the surrounding foundation, and in well water. It enters the body quietly through the airway; 

* Lead keeps epidemiologists returning to the drawing board, says Soloway, "mostly because we know more now about the adverse effects of low-level exposure." Levels once thought to be acceptable are now known contributors to learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Lead is found in paint in older houses, old plumbing, and soil near highways and busy roads. It causes neurological and kidney damage, high blood pressure, disrupted blood cell production, and reproductive problems; 

* Carbon monoxide will kill an estimated 660 Americans this year. Don't look for exhaust fumes in the attached garage; the biggest culprit is the unserviced furnace burning propane, butane or oil; 

* Arsenic is still laced in many household pesticides and is increasingly used as a wood preservative. Low levels of inorganic arsenic "may increase lung cancer risk," according to the CDC. The Department of Health and Human Services agrees, adding arsenic compounds to the list of known carcinogens;

* Vinyl chloride is the source of "new car smell": The plastic interior of a new car offgasses this known carcinogen. Water sitting in PVC pipes overnight may be steeping into a toxic tea. Very large exposures can lead to "vinyl chloride disease," which causes severe liver damage and ballooning of the fingertips; 

* Hydrofluoric acid "can cause intense pain and damage to tissues and bone if the recommended gloves happen to have holes in them," says Soloway. This highly corrosive substance is the active ingredient in many household rust removers; But even the most liberal list of known toxins pales next to the order of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs comprise hundreds of natural and man-made, carbon-based agents. They react quickly with other carbon-based compounds, and evaporate easily, making them ideal solvents. VOCs can be found in disinfectants and pesticides too. 

* Solvents: Benzene and methyl ethyl ketone traverse cell walls unchecked by normal cell defenses. Both are known carcinogens. Cousins toluene, xylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) and trichloroethylene (TCE) make up the lion's share of the solvent market; 

* Disinfectants: Phenols, which include biphenyl, phenolics and the preservative pentachloraphenol, are found in disinfectants, antiseptics, perfumes, mouthwashes, glues and air fresheners; 

* Pesticides: Chlordane, aldrin, dieldrin, though all banned for nearly two decades, continue to show up airborne in older houses.