5 Harmful Chemicals Lurking in Our Homes

This is intended to be a quick reference: enough details to help a consumer understand what might be lurking in their household products and big picture ways to navigate around them.  The chemical groups included in this document include:

PFAS (sometimes referred to as PFCs) are a very large group of man-made chemicals that are found in an astonishing number of consumer products.  Their unique chemical structure makes them extremely strong and resistant to water, oil, and stains, and they're commonly used to coat the surface of products.    

Some of the more common places you’ll find PFAS in the home include non-stick cookware, fabric coatings for waterproofing, stain-resistant furniture and carpets, and food packaging such as the inside of microwave popcorn bags and fast food wrappers.  If something is non-stick, water-proof, or stain-resistant, there’s a pretty good chance these chemicals are present.

Two of the more widely-studied PFAS compounds are PFOA and PFOS.  Results of animal studies for those compounds include reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects. In addition, both chemicals have caused tumors in animals. Increased cholesterol levels have also been observed in humans exposed to PFOA and PFOS.  

Synthetic, or artificial, fragrances are made up of thousands of chemicals grouped under the simple and innocuous term “fragrance”.  

Synthetic fragrances are found in a wide range of our household products, including cosmetics, shampoos, body wash, air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softener, candles, and the list goes on and on. These are generally easy to "sniff out".

According to the Environmental Working Group, studies have shown that chemicals found in fragrances are linked to many health problems including allergies, skin reactions, endocrine/hormone disruption, and possibly even birth defects. 

Two of the bigger hazardous chemical groups in fragrances include phthalates and VOCs (both discussed later in this post).   Fragrances are one of the top five known allergens, and are known to cause asthma and trigger asthma attacks. 

The American Lung Association recommends establishing a fragrance-free work environment since fragrances impact indoor air quality and represent potential health hazards for employees with allergies and chronic lung diseases. The same principals carry over to the home environment.

So how do we get around inadvertently surrounding ourselves with these allergens?

Phthalates are a large group of industrial chemicals used extensively in consumer products from plastics to personal care products.  They’re found in plastic food containers, plastic wrap, plastic toys, vinyl flooring, perfume, hair spray, cleaners, fragrances, and so on.  

We’re exposed to these chemicals by using personal care and cleaning products, consuming food and beverages that have come into contact with plastics, and to a lesser extent through dust contaminated with phthalate particles.  

Young children may be more susceptible to phthalates in dust due to their hand to mouth behaviors.  Young children and babies are also exposed by eating from plastic bowls/utensils, chewing/mouthing plastics toys, and retail cow’s milk. 

Not surprisingly given their prevalence in our products, studies conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have found phthalates in the general population at measurable concentrations.   

Studies are ongoing to better understand the health effects of phthalates.  The USEPA has classified one common phthalate (di(2-ethylhexl)phthalate, or DEHP), as a probable human carcinogen.  

Phthalates are often classified as endocrine disruptors because of their ability to interfere with the endocrine system, which is the body’s system of regulating things such as metabolism, growth and development, and reproduction.  Certain phthalates have been found to have adverse health effects on male reproductive development in laboratory animals.  

How do we limit our exposure to these chemicals, which are seemingly ubiquitous in our products and environment?  This one isn’t easy, but there are some things we can do - remember, even small steps help decrease exposure.  

VOCs are a vast group of chemical compounds that are commonly used in household products. What makes VOCs unique is that they easily turn from a solid or liquid into a gas, which is why many of the products they’re found in can be characterized by having a strong odor.  The strong odors are the gaseous phase of the VOCs and generally equal indoor air quality issues.  

According to the USEPA, “concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands.”

Ok so they smell, what’s the big deal?  The problem is that they not only stink, but many VOCs are suspected or known carcinogens.  A few of these include benzene and methylene chloride, which are found in products like paint and paint strippers, and perchloroethylene, which is emitted from our clothing after being dry cleaned.  

Other long-term health effects include damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. They also cause a whole slew of more immediate harmful health effects such as nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reactions, labored breathing, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness.  

Even though VOCs are all around us, there are steps that can be taken to lessen our exposure to them. 

So far we’ve looked at groups of chemicals, but now we’re going to take a look a single chemical all on its own – triclosan. 

Triclosan is a chemical that has antibacterial properties and is used in many household products. The FDA thankfully banned it from liquid hand soaps in September 2017, but it can still be found in products like dishwashing detergent, bodywash, toothpaste, and deodorant, and home products such as plastic food containers and cutting boards. 

Triclosan has been linked to the disruption of thyroid function and endocrine disruption even at very low doses.  It has also been found to cause immune and allergenic effects.  In addition, the widespread use of triclosan has been found to increase the development of stronger bacteria that are more difficult to control, putting people at a higher risk of other bacterial diseases.  

It’s also a big problem for our environment because wastewater treatment plants aren’t effective at removing it, so it’s released to surface water bodies and has been shown to be toxic and bioaccumulate in aquatic life. 

It’s great news that triclosan is no longer in our antibacterial hand soaps, but how do we know if it’s in other products we’re using?  If a home product is touted as antibacterial or odor-fighting, it can often indicate the presence of triclosan (think dish washing soap, plastic cutting boards, food containers, and shower curtains).  

To see if it’s lurking in your favorite personal care products, head over to the Environment Working Group’s SkinDeep® page for a list of personal care products that still contain triclosan.