Co-op America has put out the list below. You can go to their site for more information.
Below‚ we outline the problems with 16 conventional household products. Click through to Co-op America's Healthy Home Center to learn about solutions – ways to heal every part of your home. (Also, all of the linked terms below, like "phthalates"‚ take you straight to our online glossary for a better understanding of the problems some of the worst chemicals can cause.)
1) Conventional body care products –
More than one-third of personal care products contain at least one ingredient
linked to cancer, and very few products are tested for safety. Some products
contain phthalates‚
which don't appear in the list of a product's ingredients -- instead they
are covered by the general term "fragrance."
Body
Care Solutions »
2) Chemical Air Fresheners – Air fresheners
contain dangerous ingredients like dichlorobenzene‚
naphthalene‚
and formaldehyde.
Air
Freshener Solutions »
3) PVC Shower Curtains – Polyvinyl
chloride, also known as PVC‚ the vinyl in your shower curtain‚ is a
plastic that’s dangerous to people and the environment at every stage of its
lifecycle. Shower
Curtain Solutions»
4) Conventional Cleaners –
Many household cleaners contain volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), such as formaldehyde‚
harsh acids‚ and hormone disruptors.
Cleaning
Solutions»
5) Paints and Stains –
Conventional paints contain three chemicals worth worrying about: VOCs‚
fungicides‚ and biocides. Other problematic ingredients can include mercury‚
arsenic
disulfide‚ phenol‚
and formaldehyde.
Painting
Solutions »
6) Furniture – Some
wood furniture can release VOCs from adhesives and finishes. Urea
formaldehyde is used in particle board furniture. Most upholstered
furniture is treated with flame-retardant polybrominated
diphenyl ethers (PDBEs). Furniture
Solutions »
7) Flooring –
Wall-to-wall carpets harbor allergens and trap toxins. Most synthetic
carpets and their adhesives also emit VOCs.
Carpeting may be treated with benzyl
benzoate or other chemicals for mothproofing or to repel moisture.
Flooring
Solutions »
8) Vinyl Siding – Home
siding can be the single largest use of vinyl‚ made from PVC‚
in a home. Vinyl siding often contains DEHP‚
an additive‚ and a phthalate.
Siding
Solutions »
9) Wooden Decks and Playsets – Until a few
years ago, pressure-treated wood for decks and play equipment was routinely
covered in chromium
copper arsenate (CCA) to kill insects and prevent rot. CCA leaches arsenic
that sticks to the hands and is absorbed through skin.
Deck/Playset
Solutions »
10) Pesticides – Too many
homeowners needlessly use hazardous chemicals on their lawns, and these
chemicals can drift into their homes and pollute indoor air.
Lawncare
Solutions »
11) Cookware – Non-stick pans
with Teflon or Teflon-like coatings contain polytetrafluoroethylene
(PTFE) and perfluorooctanoic
acid (PFOA), which break down into the air at high temperatures.
Cookware
Solutions »
12) Plastics – Hard-to-recycle
plastics often contain toxins that can leach into food and water‚ especially
when heated. Plastics
Solutions »
13) Conventional Produce –
Many non-organic fruits and vegetables carry pesticide residue.
Twenty-three of the world's 28 most commonly used pesticides are suspected
carcinogens, and several are possible neurotoxins and endocrine
disruptors. Produce
Solutions»
14) Seafood – Some fish can
contain mercury
and polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs). Some experts say that FDA and EPA fish consumption limits,
established to keep pregnant women and children safe‚ are too lax.
Seafood
Solutions »
15) Bed linens – Toxic
chemicals that resist flames, water, moths, stains, and wrinkles are sometimes
added to textiles like bedclothes. Labels like
"permanent-press‚" "no-iron‚" "water
repellent‚" and "flame retardant‚" may indicate fabric
treatments that off-gas chemicals like formaldehyde
and perfluorochemicas
(PFCs). Bed
linens Solutions »
16) Mattresses – Federal laws require mattresses to be fire resistant, so many manufacturers treat the mattress foam with flame-retardant chemicals. The most dangerous are polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)‚ which some manufacturers are phasing out voluntarily. Mattress Solutions »
