You'd like to think your home is a safe place. Yet most people's homes are filled with potentially dangerous substances. These include oven and drain cleaners, laundry powder, floor polish, paint and pesticides. Even arts and crafts supplies and yard care products can be hazardous.
Many household products can harm children, pets and the environment if not used and stored correctly. Toxic substances in these products can cause harm if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin. People respond to toxic substances in different ways. At high doses a toxic substance might cause birth defects or other serious problems, including brain damage or death.
To avoid problems, keep products in the containers they come in and use them exactly as the label says. Seek medical help if you swallow, inhale or get products on your skin.
-
Household Products Database
(National Library of Medicine) - http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/
-
ToxMystery(National Library of Medicine) - Requires Flash Player - http://toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov/espanol.html
- Household Chemicals: The Basics(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/safety/hic_household_chemicals_the_basics.aspx
- Household Chemicals: What's in My House? (chart)(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/safety/hic_household_chemicals_chart_whats_in_my_house.aspx
- Health Hazards in Household Cleaners Exposed(07/25/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67388.html
- Poisoning: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid-poisoning/FA00029/METHOD=print
- Read the Label First! Protect Your Garden(Environmental Protection Agency) - Links to PDF - http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/labeling/pubs/rtlf/garden.pdf
- Read the Label First! Protect Your Household(Environmental Protection Agency) - Links to PDF - http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/labeling/pubs/rtlf/home.pdf
-
What You Should Know about Household Hazards to Pets(American Veterinary Medical Association) - http://www.avma.org/animal_health/brochures/hazards/household_brochure.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.avma.org/animal_health/brochures/hazards/household_brochure_spanish.asp
- Household Chemical Emergency(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - http://www.fema.gov/hazard/chemical/
- Chemical Emergencies(American Red Cross) - http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_94_,00.html
- Household Hazardous Waste(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste) - http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/hhw.htm
- Indoor Air Pollution- Household Products(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=117535
- Properly Handle Hazardous Household Products(Dept. of Agriculture) - http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/highlights/homegarden/hazmat.html
-
Tox Town(National Library of Medicine) - Requires Flash Player - http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/espanol/
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Unlabeled cubes spell trouble: camphor concerns. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18580639&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Enzymes, detergents and skin: facts and fantasies. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18422788&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Male bladder cancer risk and occupational exposure according to a... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18327514&tool=MedlinePlus
- Household Products -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=((household+products/toxicity[mh]+OR+household+products/adverse+effects[mh]+OR+household+products/poisoning[mh])+NOT+(carbon+monoxide+poisoning[majr]+OR+food+poisoning[majr]+OR+lead+poisoning[majr]+OR+mercury+poisoning[majr]+OR+cosmetics[mh]+OR+pesticides[majr]))+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Association of Poison Control Centers - http://www.aapcc.org/
- Consumer Product Safety Commission - http://www.cpsc.gov/
- Environmental Protection Agency - http://www.epa.gov/
-
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/community/espanol/
- Learn about Chemicals Around Your House(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs) - http://www.epa.gov/kidshometour/
-
Ten Tips to Protect Children from Pesticide and Lead Poisonings(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs) - http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/child-ten-tips.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.epa.gov/opp00001//factsheets/child-ten-tips-esp.htm
-
ToxMystery(National Library of Medicine) - Requires Flash Player - http://toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov/espanol.html
- Can I Use Paint and Household Chemicals While Pregnant?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/question/infants/chemicals.html
- Child Safety - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childsafety.html
- Indoor Air Pollution - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/indoorairpollution.html
- Pesticides - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pesticides.html
- Poisoning - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoning.html
- Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoningtoxicologyenvironmentalhealth.html
- Safety Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/safetyissues.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Household Products is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/