They wash “whiter than white”, they erase encrusted stains with a single wipe of the sponge, they mercilessly eradicate bad smells… Our favorite household products, it would be hard to do without them!
And yet. In a special issue (about indoor air pollution) published this Friday, April 12, 2019, the magazine 60 million consumers pin industrial cleaning products. The verdict of the investigators is scathing: “most of these products are full of harmful substances”.
An alarming finding: the “vast majority” of favorite household products (dishwashing liquids, window cleaners, detergents, air fresheners, etc.) “contain one or more toxic substances that are harmful to our health or the environment” .
Allergens and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
A few examples: 60% of the 100 products tested contain isothiazolinones, allergenic preservatives. There are also quaternary ammoniums, suspected of promoting certain fertility disorders – they would also be “recognized as one of the leading causes of occupational asthma among nursing staff” underlines the magazine 60 million consumers.
In addition, household products (and, in particular, sprays) emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), potentially responsible for certain respiratory diseases.
60 million consumers are now asking the public authorities to introduce new labeling “clear and immediately readable for consumers”, as well as “the presence of allergens should be systematically specified on the label, and no longer according to ‘a threshold as currently imposed by the regulations’. The mention “natural product” is particularly targeted… which can hide the presence of toxic products!
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