The fact that cleaning-as-usual represents a high-risk activity in terms of chemical exposure, of course, does not mean that you cannot rid your household effectively of germs without introducing toxic chemicals into your home.

 

            The most obvious solution is to choose cleaning products that are USDA Certified Organic, meaning they are certified to contain only ingredients that are allowed in organic foods under the National Organic Program.  Like organic meat and vegetables and dairy products to qualify for the USDA organic seal, a cleaning product needs to contain no toxic chemicals pursuant to Federal Law.  Note that the word “organic” itself, without the USDA certification is NOT sufficient.  In fact, the term “organic” is overwhelmingly abused on most non-food products, including cleaning and personal care items.  If you don’t see the USDA Organic seal, you need to investigate why, because in most cases you will find chemicals that are not allowed in organic products under federal law.

 

            USDA Organic cleaning products will most likely include Saponified Liquid Soaps, also known as Castile Soap, which can be used to wash dishes, clean laundry, and clean surfaces.  Soap and hot water indeed clean many pathogens.

 

            There are also USDA Organic Multi-Purpose Cleaners that rely on Vinegar, Lavender, Lemon, Baking Soda, Nettle and Peppermint.   In addition, other cleaning products known to kill bacteria and viruses, include Vinegar, Tea Tree Oils (anti-fungal and antibacterial), Lemon, Rosemary and, of course, Alcohol.

 

            Although not organic, hydrogen peroxide is another alternative.

 

            However, at the other end of the spectrum, there is also another extremely impressive alternative in the form of certain patented TANCS steam cleaners that use nothing but tap water and have been proven in studies to kill germs BETTER than chemicals

 

 

            Steam Cleaners built with patented TANCS technology are not anything like the steam cleaners you might routinely find at Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond or Target.  Rather, the TANCS system of steam cleaners represents Patented Technology whose novelty and scientifically-proven efficacy have been verified by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  This is no small seal of approval.  Very few technologies are novel enough or can be scientifically proven effective enough to meet the heavy burden necessary to satisfy Federal Patent Law.  

 

            Reading through the Patent itself reveals that the TANCS technology kills bacteria, molds, viruses, spores, fungi, dust mites, biofilm etc., BETTER than conventional detergents, toxic bleach, soap, or any regular steam cleaner.  This means that ordinary tap water can be made to be MORE effective than chemicals when it comes to killing germs, deodorizing and disinfecting.  In fact, the technology is so effective that it is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a disinfection device.  This means the same technology that you can use to clean germs in your home is even strong enough for sanitizing and deodorizing hospitals, medical offices, laboratories, nursing homes, and emergency vehicles.

 

            The technology is truly invaluable for those of us who have long sought a way to clean effectively while avoiding chemicals.  It is also a real win for the environment and human-health at the same time.

 

            Using only ordinary tap water without the use of ANY CHEMICALS, the technology causes invisible crystals to form on tap water — crystals that disrupt the protective envelopes that surround germs, allowing the steam to penetrate their covering and get directly at the heart of the germs, killing them. Tap water passes through a boiler with metal plates that changes the crystal structure of the minerals in the tap water, energizing them, so to speak – the steam can then penetrate the protective jacket around germs that allows them to attach to surfaces and replicate.  The TANCS steam can not only destroy microorganisms, but also prevent the growth and multiplication of future organisms – because new germs cannot easily attach to the energized crystal structure of the minerals in the TANCS water, new organisms and biofilms are discouraged from growing. 

 

            Regular steam cleaning alone, of the sort found in the Shark or Hoover Steam Cleaner or the Bissel Steam Mop system etc.,, cannot penetrate this protective germ membrane anywhere even close to as effectively (as patent studies discussed below demonstrate).  TANCS technology uses regular cold tap water (not the bottled water that is required for some steam systems), and the machine uses the hard water minerals in the tap water plus heat to kill germs literally within a few seconds.  What sorts of germs?

 

            Laboratory testing has found that TANCS kills MRSA to 99.9999 percent within 5 seconds, trumping anything chemicals can achieve.  MRSA is the superbug STAPH infection that is resistant to antibiotics, and includes the flesh-eating bacteria that has been much publicized recently.  In addition, recent lab testing has confirmed that TANCS kills Pneumonia causing bacteria.

 

            Not only is the TANCS technology so effective that is even registered with the EPA as a disinfection device, but the technology has even been lauded in published articles, like in the American Journal of Infection Control, which noted that the TANC technology killed bacteria in only 5 seconds. Here is the abstract to the published article: http://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(08)00557-9/abstract  

 

            Moreover, Patent records from the United States Patent and Trademark Office reveal the technology’s extraordinary capabilities at destroying bacteria, STAPH infections, ECOLI, Yeast, Salmonella, Viruses, Mold etc.,

 

            In Example 1 from the Patent, tap water was sprayed on one side of a shower curtain, while the other side of the curtain was sprayed with tap water that came OUT from the TANCS steam cleaner (meaning tap water that had gone through the boiler, had its minerals energized, and came out of the nozzle as steam).  After 24 hours, the side of the curtain with the tap water had millions of micro-organisms growing on it (because micro-organisms are in the water that comes out of the tap, and need water to live and multiply, plus are dispersed to surfaces in the air and by touch), while the side sprayed from the TANC cleaner had NONE detected. The results are staggering.  The TANCS boiler kill the millions of micro-organisms, rendering new meaning to the term “cleaning house.”

 

            Example 2 from the Patent: Testers put the following bacteria and fungi on a clay tile:

 

(i)            Two types of Staph infections (staph epidermidis, which is antibiotic resistant, and S. Aureus, which is the most common staph skin infection),

(ii)          E Coli

(iii)         Psuedonomas Aeroginosa bacteria, (

(iv)         Salmonella Cholearsis from SWINE

(v)          Listeria — (food borne illness)

(vi)         E. Faecium — meningitis bacteria, and

(vii)        C. Albicans, otherwise known as a yeast infection.

 

            Putting all these bacterial contaminants/pathogens together on the same clay tile, the testers applied the nozzle of the TANCS machine with a towel for either 7 seconds or 10 seconds, and here is the percentage of the bacteria/fungi killed:

 

            • S. Aureus: 99.89% (7 Seconds) and 99.999996% (10 seconds)

            • Staph Epidemidis: 99.999991 (7 seconds enough)

            • Salmonella Cholearsis (from Swine): 99.9999993 (7 seconds was enough)

            • P. Aeroginosa: 99.999994 (7 seconds enough)

            • E.Coli: 99.999994 (7 seconds enough)

            • Listeria: 99.99966 (7 secs) and 99.999978 (10 secs)

            • E. Faecium: 99.999995 (7 seconds enough)

            • Candida Albicans (yeast): 99.999993 (7 seconds enough).  

 

 In short, the TANCS technology killed nearly 100% of every single bacteria and fungus tested with just a few seconds of one-time application, including STAPH infections, E-COLI, SALMONELA, YEAST, LISTERIA and SWINE infections. 

 

            Example 3 from Patent — MOLD: Testers put fungus, otherwise known as MOLD, on a wet carpet treated with dust for 24 hours, then 7 days, and finally 30 days.  Three cleaning methods were then applied to the mold on the carpet.  The first was conventional chemical detergent and hot water.  The second with high flow pressure and hot water, otherwise known as a regular steam cleaner.  And the third was the steam cleaner with the TANCS technology.

 

            • The TANCS removed 99% of the mold/fungi after 24 hours, then 92% after 7 days of mold growth, and 99% after 30 days of growth.

            •The detergent and hot water combo only killed 81% after 24 hours, and then dropped to 60% after that.

            • The hot water and pressure (meaning the regular steam cleaner) killed 82% after 24 hours, and then dropped to just 43%.  The ordinary steam cleaner thus cleaned worse than the chemicals where it came to eradicating the mold.  BUT neither came even close to the TANCS steam cleaner’s ability to kill Mold.

 

            The Tanks technology removed 99+% of the mold after only one treatment, reflecting a dramatically superior success rate to even detergent and hot water or regular steam cleaning — which is precisely why it was granted the federal patent when other steam cleaners would not be.

 

            Example 4 of the Patent:  Assorted viruses were put on a tile (related to the Norwalk Virus, which, of course, is a notorious cause of the stomach flu).  The TANCS machine was used on the virus-contaminated tile for 7 seconds.  The results were that 0.000 of the virus was left on the tile after just 7 seconds.  The TANCS would quite literally kill the stomach flu virus from surfaces everywhere in the home, school, office, or daycare etc.  (The Patent is available for public viewing on the USPTO website).

 

          

            In a recent University of Michigan Study, TANCS even destroyed microbial BIOFILMS completely in seconds.  As opposed to individual free-floating organisms, biofilms are a collection of organisms – bacteria, fungus, viruses, protozoas –  that bind together creating a more powerful matrix or protective skin that is far more resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants.  A single bacterial organism may not be able to attach well to a surface and can be easily wiped off.  However, once a colony has formed, connecting securely to each other, the outside surface created in laying germ upon germ forges a protective film or biofilm against disinfectants and antimicrobial agents.  Biofilms can be 1000 times harder to remove than suspended microbes, and according to the National Institutes of Health are responsible for as many as 80% of infections in the body.  These infections are far more difficult for the immune system to battle off, including respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, middle ear infections, gingivitis and teeth infections, stomach infections, eyes, peritoneal membranes and infections of the heart, etc., Biofilms thus represent a significant health concern in homes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, gyms, and anywhere else where germs can band together into colonies.

 

            The University of Michigan study showed TANCS system rapidly destroyed highly resistant biofilms to 99.95%+ efficacy in just three seconds, and to non-detectable levels in ten seconds.  According to the study’s main scientist, TANCS was able to accomplish in a few seconds what even “strong chemical disinfectants such as bleach” could not accomplish in 20 minutes of continuous application.
 

 

             In addition to its obvious documented superiority in actually killing germs and biofilms, how much greener can a technology be than one that spares every home the use of tons of harmful chemicals, as well as the petroleum production and disposal that is necessary for the production and storage of such cleaning chemicals?  So much emphasis is placed on plastic grocery bags affect on the environment, but what about the billions of plastic containers that are created to hold household chemicals each year?  How great would it be for the environment and human health for us to forego the production and disposal of millions of tons of hard plastics?  Furthermore, how much benefit would flow to our oceans and drinking water in not having toxic detergents and other chemicals seeping down the drain and into our water supply?

 

            According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average home uses nearly $700 worth of cleaning household products each year. http://bls.gov/cex/csxann09.pdf.  For many of us this is a conservative estimate, especially for homes with small children. Indeed if you have been buying so-called Green or Eco-Friendly Cleaners at $4.00 a bottle you have most likely been paying a lot more than the average household, which can get a product for a few quarters. Simple tap water can quite literally now replace  millions of tons of cleaning chemicals, many of which we know are recognized by our own government as carcinogens, developmental and reproductive toxins, allergens, and hormone disruptors. That’s the easiest fix for the environment you might ever encounter, not to mention human health care.

 

            Tap water can replace not one, but quite literally DOZENS of cleaning chemicals in the average American home.  The average person (not family) by some estimates uses more than 40 lbs of household chemicals each year – exposing themselves to 40 lbs of chemicals in the small confined space of their homes (that’s the size of a toxic kindergartner).  A TANCS system spares the average household the need for floor cleaners, window cleaners, bathroom and toilet cleaners, mold killers, disinfectants, carpet and upholstery cleaners, toy cleaners, dust-mite killers, oven cleaners, etc.

 

            In addition, with the introduction of novel germs such as H1N1, antibiotic resistant MRSA (which is made worse by antibacterial cleaners) and resistant biofilms, as well of the hundreds of thousands of poisonings of children from household chemicals, having a patented germ killer that carries none of the dangers of chemicals and MORE proven efficacy than anything else on the market is certainly something of great value to most families.  Using less and getting more is indeed the epitome of green.

 

 

A cleaner home may, in fact, be one of the most toxic environments to spend your day in, more toxic than an office building or anywhere outdoors in the most industrialized city even if you are using so-called Green or Eco-Friendly cleaning products in your home.

 

            According to the EPA, ordinary “cleaning, disinfecting…[and] degreasing” products are known to emit dangerous “Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)” that turn into toxic gasses in our homes during use and even during storage in closed containers. A can or bottle in a cupboard may be the equivalent of a small smokestack puffing out carcinogenic fumes, like formaldehyde and benzene, that seep into your air from the cracks under your kitchen sink and the gaps in your cupboards.   A dose a day adds up, particularly when you account for how much time is spent inside of your actual home.

 

             EPA studies have found that VOC pollutants emitted from ordinary household products can “average 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outdoors” and “for several hours immediately after certain activities” can exceed up to 1000 times outdoor toxin levels.

 

            Because ventilation is far worse indoors than outdoors obviously, this means your chances of exposure to dangerous pollutants, reproductive and developmental toxins, allergens and known carcinogens is far greater INSIDE of your home than outside of it – a fact that is recognized by our own government. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html

Most of the toxins you will be exposed to in your lifetime will come from your own carefully selected home products.

 

            What are the possible health effects of exposure to cleaning chemicals in the home?  The EPA itemizes a significant list of harms from indoor exposure to VOCs from everyday household products.  In addition to CANCER in humans and animals, asthma, and cold and flu-like symptoms, according to the EPA, other health problems stemming from exposure to household cleaning chemicals include:

 

i)             Eye, nose, and throat irritation;

ii)            Headaches,

iii)           Loss of coordination,         

iv)           Nausea;

v)            Damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system…         

vi)           Allergic skin reaction (otherwise known as Eczema),

vii)         Dyspnea (difficulty breathing),

viii)        Declines in serum cholinesterase levels (nerves can not send signals),

ix)           Emesis (Vomiting),

x)            Epistaxis (Nosebleeds),

xi)           Fatigue

xii)         Dizziness . . .

xiii)        Visual disorders

xiv)        Memory impairment.”

See http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html

 

            Many people, including children, may suffer from such symptoms and yet never be able to trace them back to the everyday chemicals that have been used in their homes for years, if not a combination of them.
 

 What Sort of Chemicals Are in Brand-Name Cleaning Products?

 

            Turn the label on your cleaning product and you are unlikely to find anything that makes you nervous or angry.  The terms will be generic and vague.  Cleaning products very often fail to disclose the complete ingredients list, relying instead on hidden, loaded terms such as “odor neutralizers” and “non-ionic cleansers” and “plant derived surfactants” plus, blanket warnings concerning poisoning and proper disposal, as if this is a sufficient warning for families about everyday chemical exposure.  (This is fully legal, by the way: no disclosure is necessary. In addition, the government does not require companies to test cleaning products for safety before sending them out to store shelves.)

 

            To be fair, most people have become desensitized to “poison” warnings, assuming that the products are healthy and safe just as long as you use them according to the label, rather than say drink them straight out of the bottle.  The sad reality is this couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

            As the EPA itself confirms, ordinary household products used as directed on the product label spread toxic chemicals around your household surfaces and into your indoor air.  Children, pets, and we ourselves then absorb these chemicals not only be inhalation from fumes (masked as pine or lemon or spring breezes), but also absorption through mere skin contact, as well as oral ingestion (after we or our kids touch a cleaned floor or counter and then put our hands in our mouth; eat from a plate from the dishwasher; use a scrubbed bathtub or sink; or consume a meal from a cleaned oven or microwave, not to mention smell our “fresh” laundry scent coming from our laundry room or from our clothes as we wear them all day long etc.,).  The chemicals, as mentioned, are even spewed into indoor air while standing in CLOSED containers in cabinets.  It goes without saying that chemicals quite easily escape plastic bottles; a plastic cap does not trap carcinogens (if they did then disposal in landfills wouldn’t be a soil and water pollution problem – and it is).  Once loose in our homes, VOCs also easily penetrate into the nasal passages and often into the skin, and get into the brain, as well as store themselves long term in body fat.  (Ergo, the more body fat, the more storage space for built-in, lingering carcinogens and toxins).  Because children have less developed elimination systems, and breath more air than adults, studies have repeatedly shown they tend to absorb the highest doses of toxic chemicals inside their own homes – sometimes nearly 3 times that of their parents.  (See e.g., Lunder et.al, Significantly Higher Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Levels in Young U.S. Children than in Their Mothers, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2010, 44 (13), pp 5256–5262).

 

            For example, laboratory tests conducted by the Environmental Working Group, a environmental non-profit, found numerous undisclosed carcinogens, including FORMALDEHYDE, BENZENE and CHLOROFORM, in popular brand-name cleaning products commonly used around children in homes, not to mention also in schools, compounding the daily toxic dose, including the following:

 

            • COMET DISINFECTANT CLEANSER – Tests found it released 146 Air Contaminants, MORE THAN ANY OTHER PRODUCT TESTED, even though only 6 ingredients were actually disclosed on the product label, including:

 

            Seven Chemicals on California’s Prop 65 List as Known to Cause Cancer and Reproductive Toxicity, as well as hormone disruptors, reproductive toxins, asthmagens, allergens, brain and nervous system toxins:

 

(i)            FORMALDEHYDE, (a chemical known to cause cancer under CA law; a known human carcinogen under the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); a known human system toxin under the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); known human respiratory toxin per the EPA; studies show as a reproductive/developmental toxin, asthmagen, and allergen),

(i)            TOLUENE, (carcinogen, reproductive/developmental toxin, neurotoxin allergen)

(ii)          ACETALDEHYDE, (carcinogen by Prop 65 law; known human respiratory toxin according to the EPA; known human immune system toxin per the National Library of Medicine of the NIH);)

(iii)         CHLOROFORM, (carcinogen, reproductive/developmental toxin, neurotoxin allergen, used to render people unconscious)

(iv)         BENZENE, (carcinogen, reproductive/developmental toxin, neurotoxin allergen, linked to leukemia in children)

(v)          1-CHLORO-2,3-EPOXYPROPANE  (this petroleum based chemical is listed as a known human immune system toxin per the National Library of Medicine of the NIH; Proposition 65 states that there is strong evidence it is a reproductive toxin; the European Commission on Hormone Disruptors provides there is strong evidence it is a human endocrine disruptor; the EPA, the IARC, the National Toxicology Program of the NIH and the California EPA, the European Union, and Canada, all list it as a possible carcinogen.  It is also designated as a known human respiratory toxin in accordance with the EPA’s regulation of Hazardous Air Pollutants).

(vi)         N-ETHYL-N-NITROSO-ETHANAMINE  (reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen under the National Toxicology Program of the NIH; probable human carcinogen per the EPA, and Cal Prop 65 law; toxic under the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory; mutagenic to DNA;

 

 

            • FEBREZE – Tests Found 89 Air Pollutants, even though the label read only “Odor eliminator, water, fragrance, non-flammable natural propellant, quality control ingredients, including:

(i)            ACETALHYDE  (a chemical known to cause cancer under California Law, Prop 65; a known human respiratory toxin according to the EPA; ; known human immune system toxin per the National Library of Medicine);

(ii)          BHT (a neurotoxin and hormone disruptor) and

(iii)         ETHYL ACETATE (a chemical toxic to the brain and nervous system).

 

          

            •  PINE-SOL BRAND CLEANER – Tests found 18 Air Contaminants, even though only 4 ingredients disclosed on product label, including:

 

(i)            FORMALDEHYDE, (carcinogen under CA law, reproductive/developmental toxin, asthmagen, and allergen),

(ii)          1,3-DICHLORO-2-PROPANOL (evidence of carcinogenicity and mutagenicity)

(iii)         ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL (brain and nervous system toxin)

 

            • CLOROX BLEACH – Tests found it released 8 Air Pollutants, although the label disclosed only one ingredient, including

 

(i)                 N,N-DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE (a hormone disruptor and chemical toxin to the brain and nervous system)

(ii)               1,3-DICHLORO-2-PROPANOL (mutagenic and evidence of carcinogenicity)

(iii)             DIETHYLCARBAMOYL CHLORIDE (evidence of carcinogenicity and classified as irritant by European Union).

 

Green Cleaners Still Have Toxic Chemicals Known To Cause Cancer In Them 

 

            Many consumers seek out “green” and “eco-friendly” cleaners precisely to avoid toxic chemicals in their homes.  The cost of these cleaners is usually higher, but people are willing to pay the increased cost in pursuit of greater health for their families.  The sad reality is that with the exception of genuine USDA certified organic cleaners – which are few and far between – the vast majority of products claiming to be green, eco-friendly and/or natural still contain chemicals, toxins and carcinogens.  As “green” products have become more in vogue, manufacturers have merely repackaged their products and slapped a green label on them, if not an empty certification, even while continuing to use known carcinogens, such as Formaldehyde.

 

            For example, EWG studies found that green cleaners contained undisclosed known carcinogens, immune system and respiratory toxins, skin toxins etc, including:

 

            • SIMPLE GREEN CONCENTRATED CLEANER –  the supposedly “green” product released 93 Air Contaminants, second only to COMET CLEANER, even though no ingredients were disclosed on the label, including:

 

            (i)         FORMALDEHYDE, (a chemical known to cause cancer under CA law; a known human carcinogen under the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); a known human system toxin under the National Library of Medicine; known human respiratory toxin under the EPA; reproductive/developmental toxin, asthmagen, and allergen),

(i)            ACETALHYDE  (a chemical designated as known to cause cancer under California Law, Prop 65; a known human respiratory toxin according to the EPA; known human immune system toxin per the National Library of Medicine);

(ii)          ALLYLANISOLE (a chemical known to cause cancer under California Law – contains BENZENE)

(iii)         PHENOL (Known human respiratory toxin per the EPA; neurotoxin, developmental/reproductive toxin; hormone disruptor)

(iv)         2-BUTOXYETHANOL (This primary ingredient in Simple Green is a possible human carcinogen specifically prohibited in certified green products).

 

            • WAXIE GREEN FLOOR POLISH – the product label states it is certified green by ECOLOGO, while displaying a green leaf pattern that is meant to assure the consumer that they are indeed buying a clean green product.  However, notwithstanding the claims of greenness, tests found that the product contained 58 Air Contaminants, even though NONE were disclosed on the label, including:

 

(i)            ACETALHYDE  (a chemical designated as known to cause cancer under California Law, Prop 65; a known human respiratory toxin according to the EPA; known human immune system toxin per the National Library of Medicine);

(ii)          METHYL METHACRYLATE (a known human immune system toxin according to the National Library of Medicine; a known human respiratory toxin according to the EPA; chemical known to be toxic to the brain and nervous system).

 

            • ALPHA HP MULTISURFACE CLEANER – even though the product carries the GREEN SEAL certification, tests detected 6 Air Pollutants, including:

 

 

            (i)         TOLUENE – a chemical designated by the State of California to be a known Carcinogen; reproductive toxin; toxic to brain and nervous system; human developmental toxin; known human respiratory toxin per the EPA; human irritant; skin irritant)

 

 

            As for big name brands such as SEVENTH GENERATION, taking a look at their ingredients labels reveal a whole host of assorted chemicals, including petroleum based chemicals, although the main ingredient is surprisingly WATER.  For example, the Seventh Generation Natural All-Purpose Cleaner indeed contains Seven disclosed chemicals, as well as a nifty disclaimer that  states “Trace materials are commonly present in cleaning product ingredients.”  You might wonder what sorts of “trace materials” they are referring to but not openly disclosing?  Could they be carcinogenic Nitrosamines?

 

(i)            WATER–  Water may not be toxic, but as the first ingredient on the label of a cleaner, this means that there is by far more water in this product than anything else.  In fact, from the MSDS, it would appear the product is at least 2/3rds water.  Water is not a disinfectant of course, but it is cheap.  To the contrary, it’s a great medium for bacteria and fungus to grow in – which is why both favor the shower.  In other words, this costly $4.00 bottle is made mostly of tap water.

(ii)          LAURAMINE OXIDE – the label explains this is a “plant-derived cleaning agent” but that is not the full story.  Lauramine Oxide is a tertiary amine oxide, a derivative of AMMONIA, a known human respiratory toxin.  Lauramine Oxide has been found to be a primary skin irritant in humans.  It is also indeed a precursor to Nitrosamines. (See Hair and Hair Care, Cosmetic Science and Technology 17 (Dekker) 1997).  In other words Nitrosamines are a contaminant that is created during manufacturing of Lauramine Oxide.  Nitrosamines are considered to be possible human carcinogens by the EPA, the IARC and the National Toxicology Program of the NIH.  California Prop 65 considers there to be strong evidence that Nitrosamines indeed cause cancer.  So the “trace materials” warning may be a legal way to cover the Company without disclosing what exactly they may not want you to “trace” back to their products.

(iii)         METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE – this is an actual Pesticide that is registered and controlled by the EPA.  It is an antimicrobial agent that is a “Known human immune system toxin” according to the National Library of Medicine of the NIH.  Lab studies on the brains of mammals have also shown it to be neurotoxic.  There is also strong evidence according to the CIR that it is a skin toxin, and causes allergic reactions. According to the EPA,  “It is highly acutely toxic when applied dermally or to the eye and is considered to be corrosive.” It is also toxic to ocean life, and so not all that environmentally friendly.

(iv)         BENZISOTHIAZOLINONE  – this is another chemical Pesticide registered with the EPA. It is a “Known human immune system toxin” according to the National Library of Medicine of the NIH (that makes two in one product). Studies have found it to be Mutagenic, meaning causing DNA damage in humans, as well as a primary human skin irritant.  In fact, in the European Union, it is classified as an irritant.  It is also highly toxic to fish, sea life, and ocean plants.

 

 In effect, products that are often touted as the leaders in natural/green household cleaners may in fact be filled with toxic chemicals nonetheless.