Known in the world of chemistry as “bad actors”,these chemicals are known to be bad in one way or another,but all pose serious health risks.
To give you an idea,these are some of the traits of chemicals labeled as “bad actors”:
• Toxic or poisonous;
• Causes cancer;
• Changes genetic material;
• Interferes with normal reproduction;
• Disrupts the endocrine system (synthetic hormones);
• Causes serious eye damage;
• Causes hyper-reaction in the airways;
• Causes skin rashes or irritations;
• Accumulates in the body;
• Affects fish and other aquatic organisms;
• Depletes the ozone layer.
Here are 16 dangerous chemicals you need to know. Check the labels on your household products for…
1. Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a tissue fixative and embalming agent used to temporarily preserve human and animal remains. It is also found in topical creams,cosmetics and personal hygiene products,among other places like construction materials,pill capsules,and others.
2. Phthalates
Mainly used to increase flexibility,transparency,and durability of plastics,phthalates are being phased out of many products in the United States,Canada,and European Union over health concerns.
3. Toluene
Toluene,also known as toluol,is a clear liquid that does not dissolve in water and smells like paint thinner. Since it can not be dissolved in water,it can not leave the body through normal excretion of urine,feces,or sweat and must be metabolized.
4. Bisphenol-A
Commonly abbreviated as BPA,is an organic compound and a building block of several important plastics and plastic additives. Bisphenol-A has also been linked to miscarriages,developmental problems,cancer,weight gain,increased likelihood of drug abuse,as well as a host of neurological issues,thyroid problems,and reproductive dysfunctions.
5. Lead
Lead is a heavy metal and potent neurotoxin that accumulates in soft tissues and bone over time. Lead poisoning was documented in ancient Rome,ancient Greece,and ancient China.
6. Polybrominated flame retardants
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDE,are often used as flame retardants. PBDEs have been used in a wide array of products,including building materials,electronics,furnishings,motor vehicles,airplanes,plastics,polyurethane foams,and textiles. Studies have found significant concentrations of PBDEs in common foods such as salmon,ground beef,butter,and cheese. PBDEs have also been found at high levels in indoor dust,sewage sludge,and effluents from wastewater treatment plants. PBDEs have been shown to reduce fertility in humans at levels found in households. (It’s in just about everything you own,by the way.)
You should also be careful of their cousins made with chlorene called polychlorinated diphenyl ethers or (PCDE’s).
7. Trichloroethylene
Trichloroethylene is a chlorinated hydrocarbon (think chlorine and oil) commonly used as an industrial solvent. It is a clear non-flammable liquid with a sweet smell.
The proper chemical term is trichloroethene,but you may see it abbreviated as TCE,trichlor,Trike,Tricky and tri. It has also been sold under a variety of trade names. Under the trade names Trimar and Trilene,trichloroethylene was used as an anesthetic and as an inhaled by millions of patients.
Trichloroethylene has almost instant depressive effects on the central nervous system (which is why it was used as an anesthetic) and has been linked to cancer,heart conditions,and numerous other deadly medical problems.
8. Perchlorates
Perchlorates are the salts derived from perchloric acid. It has been shown that in healthy adults,just 0.007 milligrams per kilogram per day (mg/(kg·d)),perchlorate can temporarily inhibit the thyroid gland’s ability to absorb iodine from the bloodstream. The recommended “safe”dose and the groundwater standard is 1/10th (0.0007 milligrams per kilogram per day).
9. Methyl Iodide
Used as a fungicide,herbicide,insecticide or nematicide,soil decontamination agent,and as a fire extinguisher,breathing methyl iodide fumes can cause lung,liver,kidney and central nervous system damage. It causes nausea,dizziness,coughing and vomiting. Prolonged contact with skin causes burns. Massive inhalation causes pulmonary edema (swelling of the organs and tissues that help you breathe).
10. Mercury
Yes,the stuff in your old thermometer. Traditionally,mercury has been used as a diuretic,topical disinfectant,and laxative. It is still used today in dentistry (amalgam fillings). Mercury compounds are found in some over-the-counter drugs,including topical antiseptics,stimulant laxatives,diaper-rash ointment,eye drops,and nasal sprays. Mercury,as thiomersal,is widely used in the manufacture of mascara. Due to the health effects,there are heavy restrictions on some uses and total bans on other uses of mercury in the United States,European Union,and other countries.
11. Hexavalent Chromium
Yep. It’s the stuff from the movie Erin Brockovich.
Hexavalent chromium is used for the production of stainless steel,textile dyes,wood preservation,leather tanning,and as anti-corrosion and conversion coatings as well as a variety of other uses. Hexavalent chromium is recognized as a human carcinogen and commonly found in welding applications.
12. Hydrofluoric Acid
Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is a solution of hydrogen fluoride in water. It is extremely dangerous to handle. If you get it on only 25 square inches (160 cm2),it may be relatively painless,yet ultimately fatal.
13. N-methyl Pyrrolidone
Used as a solvent or co-solvent for the formulation of insecticides,fungicides,herbicides,it has been identified as a reproductive toxicant by California in 2001 and then by the European Commission in 2003. Worker exposure is difficult to control in situations such as in paint stripping,graffiti removal,and agriculture.
14. Perfluorinated Compounds
There are many PFCs,but the two most studied compounds are:
- PFOA or perfluorooctanoic acid,used to make fluoropolymers such as Teflon,among other applications.
- PFOS or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid,used in the semiconductor industry,3M’s former Scotchgard formulation,and 3M’s former fire-fighting foam mixture.
Some fluorosurfactants have caught the attention of regulatory agencies because of their persistence,toxicity,and widespread occurrence in the blood of general populations and wildlife.
15. Perchloroethylene
Usually as a mixture with other chlorocarbons,it is also used to degrease metal parts in the automotive and other metalworking industries. It appears in a few consumer products including paint strippers and spot removers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified tetrachloroethene as a Group 2A carcinogen. It has been estimated that about 85% of tetrachloroethylene is released into the atmosphere;OECD models assumed 90% release into the air and 10% to water.
16. Triclosan
Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent. It is a polychloro phenoxy phenol. It is used in many consumer products and is commonly found in toothpaste to prevent gingivitis. Triclosan safety is currently under review by the FDA.
Reports have suggested that triclosan can combine with chlorine in tap water to form chloroform gas and to produce lesser amounts of other compounds,like 2,4-dichlorophenol. Most of these intermediates convert into dioxins upon exposure to UV radiation (from the sun or other sources). Although small amounts of dioxins are produced,there is a great deal of concern over this effect,because some dioxins are extremely toxic and are very potent endocrine disruptors. They are also chemically very stable,so that they are eliminated from the body very slowly (they can bioaccumulate to dangerous levels),and they persist in the environment for a very long time.
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Make no mistake —these chemicals have deadly serious health impacts on people of any age,ethnicity,or net worth.
Childhood cancers have increased 20 percent since 1975,and autism now is so prevalent that it is diagnosed in almost 1% of children today. That’s 1 in every 100 children are likely to be diagnosed with autism. This is serious,folks.
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