Nerve Articles - Issue 7

Every year 4,000 people are killed in their homes, and visits to hospital because of household injuries are measured in the millions. These figures for sudden death or injury are tragic enough, but what is becoming clearer are the long term problems to health posed by unseen hazards - from the chemicals in our homes and the environment.

Home is Where the Health is?

Alternatives
One of the problems is the quantity used. This is partly because manufacturers often recommend quantities which exceed the amount necessary. The cocktail of chemicals and the cumulative effect of long-term use adds to effects. But there are cheaper alternatives anyway, which many people used before we were tied in to ‘modern living.’

They may not be sexy but:
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) is an effective cleaning product around the house.
Vinegar is a good alternative to many cleaning products. Use half vinegar, half water solution to clean windows, tiles and mirrors.
Lemon juice can be used for cleaning toilets as well as cooking, but don't do both together!!
Borax is a naturally occurring mineral, soluble in water. It can deodorise, inhibit the growth of mildew and mould, boost the cleaning power of soap or detergent and remove stains.
Tea tree oil is anti-viral and anti-bacterial with disinfectant properties, and salt is also a mild disinfectant.

Pure soaps are unlikely to contain artificial colourings or perfumes, and are made from vegetable-based ingredients. They are obtainable from health food shops. Olive oil is good for dry skin.
Bicarbonate of soda can also be used as toothpaste, and has recently been rediscovered by large producers, many of whom now promote toothpastes with this in as something new. However they also still contain the usual dodgy chemicals.
Essential oils provide non-toxic fragrances that can be used to scent shampoo, bath soaks, or even, in the case of peppermint, to flavour toothpaste.

Alternative pest control
First try and find the source of infestation or why it is occurring. This is the case whether it is insects or rodents. You are not likely to resolve the problem unless you tackle it at source.
Ants rarely invade homes in great numbers and good housekeeping is usually enough to control them. Sprinkle dried mint or chilli powder, paprika or dried peppermint on the ground where they come in to deter them. A more drastic method is the use of borax where the ants are entering.
Flies hate basil and mint plants. Grow them inside in pots and outside near windows and doors.

Computers
Work as far away from the screen as you can - at least 2 feet. The TUC recommends that operators take breaks of 15 minutes every hour.
Flat screen monitors give off less radiation, and use less energy, both in use and manufacture.
Common house plants such as ivy and palms are good for removing toxins from the air.

There is a chemical ‘soup’ in our homes, from pesticides, paints and plastics; to solvents, stain removers and sanitary products; to carpet cleaners, conditioners and cosmetics. Add to this the emissions from gas and electronic equipment and we have a 'time-bomb' of epidemic proportions.
You may think that this is ‘going a bit over the top’, but don't forget that the dangers of asbestos were known for decades before it was banned and tobacco companies know that smoking causes cancer yet still sell cigarettes.
Companies only test individual chemicals for potency, not their combined effect - and not much is known about the long-term effects of the build-up of substances in the body.
For most everyday hazards in the home there are alternatives. But there is also massive pressure for people to conform to the modern ideal and lifestyle, from companies in pursuit of profit who bombard us with advertising and promotions, pushing us into buying the latest powerful cleaners, "anti-bacterial" sprays etc, and play on people’s fears about hygiene, or not having a "spotless home". There has been a rise in chronic disease, which is directly linked to the use of industrial cleaning chemicals, women who work at home having a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work outside the home.
Also, the routine use of "anti-bacterial" products decreases immunity from bugs, rather than protecting us from them.
The modern bathroom resembles a chemist shop - overflowing with lotions and potions. The big companies make more and more exotic concoctions to keep us buying their products. Most are not needed and there are safer, cheaper alternatives anyway. Toothpaste is a worrying example. The list of chemicals in most toothpastes is straight out of Dr Jekyll’s lab. And we put this in our mouths!
Fluoride - which until the 1930s was considered a poison - is found in most toothpastes.
Fewer than a quarter of the chemicals used in toiletries and cleaning products have been subjected to a full safety investigation, while others - officially classed as hazardous - are found in products from baby lotion to eye drops and cleaning fluids. Chemicals banned in other more tightly controlled areas are still commonly used in thousands of household products.
The cosmetics and toiletries industry uses around 6-8,000 ingredients. Up to 20% of these can cause health problems, but for reasons of commercial secrecy manufacturers do not have to list them all on their product labels. The Government has bowed to the £250 billion chemical industry’s fight against tighter restrictions.
A third of all allergies are caused by fragrances. Perfumes sometimes contain cruelly-derived ingredients from animals, such as musk, or from flowers picked by children in poorer countries.
The fashion to have a year round tan has led to excessive use of self tan products. Many of these contain chemicals such as tyrosine (an amino acid), used as a ‘tanning accelerator’. The US Federal Drug Agency has said this is an unapproved drug.
Skin-care experts say we overuse moisturisers. They're supposed to keep moisture in and protect our skin from environmental pollution. But anti perspirants and deodorants stop the natural function of the body, preventing you from getting rid of toxins by sweating them out.
Skin has its own way of staying healthy. If you eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water then skin and hair look after themselves, to a large extent.
There are obvious hazards from appliances such as fires, gas leaks (carbon monoxide kills nearly 1,000 people every year), or electric shock. But there are longer term unseen problems that have not had as much publicity. These are the electrical fields and microwaves given off by equipment which on their own are bad enough, but when combined with chemicals are unmeasurable.
About 125,000 homes in the UK could have high levels of electromagnetic radiation in them and 80% of these are not even close to pylons. This is because modern homes have so many electrical appliances. Electrical charges react with pollutants already in the air allowing chemicals to penetrate the body more easily, and children's bedrooms are packed with electrical equipment!
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are created wherever there is a flow of electricity. Concerns surround a possible link between EMFs and problems with the reproductive system, the immune system and the brain and central nervous system. They have also been linked to cancers such as leukaemia.
Sensitivity to EMFs is similar to chemical sensitivity, with much the same allergic reaction.
All electrical equipment and wiring circuits emit EMFs, so it is best to be cautious and minimise exposure to them whenever possible. Walls don't significantly reduce them either, but they do drop off with distance, so ensure that places where you spend long periods of time are at least four feet from appliances that are working. Equipment still gives off radiation when on stand-by.
The recognised dangers of computers are eyestrain, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and back problems because of poor workstation arrangements. But Gunni Nordstrom - a journalist from Sweden - has also uncovered the hidden hazards, such as the skin and eye problems caused by x-ray and ultra-violet light given off by screens. On top of this a recent study reported in the Journal of Epidemiology found that 32% of workers using computers are suspected of having glaucoma - a disease that can cause blindness.
Seventy people die each year while carrying out DIY jobs, and as many as 250,000 injuries are bad enough to be reported to doctors. Other injuries - caused by the materials used in home decorating, in fittings and furniture - may not be so obvious.
Carpets can contain heavy metals, pesticides and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). They also contain colonies of dust mites.
Vinyl linoleum (not to be confused with real linoleum, made from natural products) is a major source of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is linked to emissions of deadly dioxin. Other chemicals found in vinyl include phthalates, linked to hormone disruption.
Children are most at risk because they play on the floor and they inhale 23 times as much air as adults, weight for weight.
Most modern furniture is made of pressed wood products that emit chemicals which can be toxic. MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) contains the carcinogenic chemical formaldehyde, and it doesn't have to be cut to release its toxic fumes.
Solvents can be found in paints, carpets, glues, fabrics and chipboard. There is a bewildering number of solvents and most are highly toxic.
As paint, paint thinners and removers dry, dangerous fumes called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are given off.
Most pest killers contain deadly chemicals and should be used only as a last resort.
The use of these pesticides in the home is linked with some childhood cancers such as leukaemia.
Companies producing these products know that they are harmful, but absolve themselves of any blame by putting a warning on the label.
There is a balance to be struck for most people, between living more healthily and what they can afford or is easily available. Some alternatives may cost more money at first, but work out cheaper in the long run.

The only way we can guarantee our safety in the long term is to aim for a fairer system based on people’s needs, not profit. Doing something to make you and your family healthier is possible, but a change in the way society works is needed if we are to live in a genuinely healthy environment.

The next issue of Nerve will have the second article in this series, on food.

Hazards in the Home Factsheets:

Food Chemical Residues (PDF - 56KB)
Food Additives (PDF - 79KB)
Food - Meat and Fish (PDF - 98KB)
Food - Drinks (PDF - 101KB)
Cleaning Products (PDF - 85KB)
Bodycare - Bathroom (PDF - 109KB)
Bodycare - Cosmetics (PDF - 92KB)
Bodycare - Sanitary Protection (PDF - 176KB)
Indoor Air Pollution (PDF - 262KB)
Indoor Air Pollution - DIY (PDF - 132KB)
Indoor Air Pollution - Pests (PDF - 105KB)
Recycling (PDF - 119KB)

References:

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents: www.rospa.org.uk
Greenpeace: www.greenpeace.org.uk/Products/Toxics/
Ethical Consumer Magazine: www.ethicalconsumer.org
Karen Christensen (2000) Eco Living - A Handbook for the 21st Century, Piatkus, London
Rachel Carson (2000, 1st published 1962) Silent Spring, Penguin, London
The Pesticide Action Network UK: www.pan-uk.org
Friends of the Earth, 0808 800 111: www.foe.co.uk
Valerie Ann Worwood (1991) The Fragrant Pharmacy, Bantam Books, London
Pat Thomas, Cleaning Yourself to Death (2001) Newleaf, Dublin
Powerwatch, 0897 100 800: www.powerwatch.org.uk
Gunni Nordstrom, The Invisible Disease (2004) O Books, Hants
The Environmental Working Group: www.ewg.org

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