Toxic Chemicals Which Often Found in Home
Chemicals and materials that you find in the household can emit harmful toxins that not only affect the quality of indoor air, but also can endanger the health of you and your family. The side effects started from dizziness and nausea, feeling unwell, allergic reactions, until organ damage.
Household products - which include tile adhesive, plastics, asbestos and concrete, paint, floor cleaning fluid, until the camphor - containing volatile organic compounds (VOC). VOC is described by experts as a diverse mix of chemicals released from a variety of sources and at least 10 times more harmful to the body if kept trapped indoors, especially to children. There are at least 80 thousand chemicals contained in the daily household utensils, and approximately 1.300 of which are considered as the destroyer of the hormone.
1. Acetone
Found in : eraser nail polish, furniture polish, wallpaper, alcohol topical.
When exposed to air, the acetone evaporates very quickly and easily get burned. Acetone can cause fatal poisoning and life-threatening, but it is very rare because the body is able to break down large amounts of acetone absorbed into the system. For up to poisoning, you should eat or swallow portions of acetone in an unusually large amount in a short time. Symptoms of mild acetone poisoning include headaches, slurred speech, lethargy, lack of coordination sense motion, and a sweet taste in the mouth. Therefore, the use of acetone to remove nail polish color on your nails should be done outdoors and away from the flame. Always keep products containing acetone out of the reach of children.
Alternative : Use nail polish removal products include acetone-free label. The same applies to furniture polish; furniture water-based lubricant works as effective as products containing acetone.
2. Benzene
Found in : paint, glue, gas is released from the carpet, wax, detergents, emissions from fuel combustion gas, smoke, camphor, odor remover tool.
Benzene works by disrupting the cells work in the body. For example, long-term exposure to benzene can cause bone marrow can't produce enough red blood cells. Benzene also can damage the immune system by altering levels of antibodies and cause a loss of white blood cells - which can cause anemia, or worse, leukemia from exposure to heavy and prolonged. Some women who inhale large amounts of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual cycles and decrease the size of their ovaries.
Alternative : Search for household products labeled free of benzene, and as much as possible reduce the use of mothballs to damp odor in the house. Fresh lavender flowers, in addition to beautify the home, potent fragrance for chasing away the musty smell and insect pests.
3. Ethanol
Found in : perfume, cologne, hair styling products, deodorant, shampoo, mouthwash, hand sanitizers, air fresheners, furniture polish, dishwashing soap, detergent, fabric softener.
Exposure to ethanol is still within reasonable limits don't always have an impact on health. Most people will be exposed to ethanol from consuming alcohol with concentration levels of ethanol can vary from 4-45 percent. However, if you come in contact with pure ethanol in large quantities (oral, skin, or inhaled) poisoning symptoms can started from nausea, vomiting, allergic skin reactions, seizures, slurred speech, body coordination chaotic, eyes feel hot burning, until the extreme cases, coma. However, exposure to high concentrations is more likely to occur in the work environment such as in industrial or laboratory, where pure ethanol is sometimes used. Exposure to ethanol in the air and water in the general environment is fairly low because the compound is easily broken down by sunlight.
Alternative : When using household ethanol cleaning products, be sure to open the window, or create an effective air filtration systems that will absorb the chemicals.
4. Formalin
Found in : asbestos and concrete, cigarette smoke, gas or kerosene compost lit, furniture made from pressed wood with adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde (UF), plastic bag.
Formaldehyde is a chemical compound derived from combustion and certain natural processes commonly used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. Thus, there may be traces of formaldehyde in concentrations large enough both inside and outdoors.
When formaldehyde is present in the air at levels exceeding 0.1 ppm, some people may experience side effects such as watery eyes; a burning sensation in the eyes, nose, and throat; cough; wheezing sound; nausea; skin irritation; and chest pain. Exposure to high concentrations can trigger asthma attacks in people who have it, it also can cause bronchitis. Formalin has been shown to cause cancer in animals and are suspected to cause cancer in humans.
Alternative : Don't smoke, and especially don't smoke indoors. Open the windows as wide as possible to let in fresh air, especially when you use a cleaning product and insecticides. Try to keep the temperature in the home at a low temperature setting and comfortable. Also, spend a lot of time outdoors for some fresh air as much as possible. It is very important for families with children, the elderly or family members with chronic diseases such as asthma.
