Report Gaining National Attention
By KEILA SZPALLER of the Missoulian
Read the story at the Missoulian
A report produced by a Missoula nonprofit about toxins in common household products is making national headlines.
The
women-centered environmental health and social justice organization
Women's Voices for the Earth released a study earlier this summer
called “Household Hazards.” It describes links between chemicals in
all-purpose cleaners and certain health conditions, such as asthma and
birth defects.
At least 500 people have since signed a WVE
petition asking manufacturers to label cleaners with ingredients, and
some 10,000 people have downloaded the study from the organization's
Web site.
The report has garnered interest from researchers, and media outlets such as National Public Radio, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer have reported its findings.
“It's been pretty amazing,” Alexandra Gorman, WVE director of science and research, said of the national response.
In the report, Gorman is careful to say the findings are not conclusive and require more research.
But the presence of the chemicals in people's daily lives is more pervasive than previously thought. The substances can harm a woman's chance to have a healthy baby, hurt an asthmatic child, lower a man's sperm count, and even damage fish and tadpoles. And all kinds of products, such as air fresheners, glass cleaners and detergents, have the potentially harmful ingredients.
“In the United Kingdom, a study of pregnant women showed a link between the use of air fresheners and aerosol sprays and an increase in headaches and depression in the mothers, as well as ear infections and diarrhea in their babies,” says the report, which cites peer-reviewed journals, national health care organizations and international research centers.
Phthalates, carriers for fragrances in cleaners, are linked to reduced sperm counts in adult men and increased asthma in children, according to the report.
Some chemicals are known to harm people in occupational settings. Monoethanolamine, or MEA, can trigger asthma in cleaning workers. The same is true for chemical disinfectants called ammonium quaternary compounds.
Researchers don't know if those chemicals can hurt people cleaning their homes, but the study points out the risks associated with substances found in bottles under the kitchen sink.
Common glass cleaners can have harmful chemicals, too. Solvents called glycol ethers, for example, are linked to reduced fertility and low birth weight in exposed mice. APEs, or alkyl phenol ethoxylates, can harm fish and change tadpoles. APEs are often found in rivers and streams, as well as in household dust.
The study lists the names of household products that use chemicals linked to reproductive harm and asthma. It also gives tips to consumers, such as buying only from companies that list all product ingredients on their packaging.
WVE's Erin Thompson said the next step is putting pressure at the national level. The nonprofit's petition is part of that effort, as is a free Thursday evening workshop at Earth Folk in downtown Missoula.
There, community members will learn how to make their own safe cleaning products from ingredients such as vinegar and baking soda. They'll also have a chance to sign the petition and contact manufacturers of cleaning products by phone.
“We think companies are going to respond by hearing from consumers,” said Thompson, regional campaigns coordinator.
The organization's public outreach on household hazards is one of its largest undertakings.
To read the report or learn more, go to www.womenandenvironment.org
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5262 or at Keila.Szpaller@missoulian.com
Wipe out household hazards
Women's Voices for the Earth invites the community to a free workshop on making safe cleaning products. Bring a clean, empty spray bottle if you have one.
The event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Earth Folk, 133 Higgins Ave.
For more information, go to www.womenandenvironment.org or call 543-3747.