Common Materials Found at Home
Common Materials Found at Home
Common Materials Found at Home
EFFECTS
MATERIALS
Extension cords
USES
HARMFUL EFFECTS
Mothballs
Pesticides
10. Mothballs
Since moths chew holes through clothing and other textiles, people pack away these
stinky repellents to kill them. But studies on one active ingredient in some
repellents, paradichlorobenzene, found that it can cause cancer in animals. Other
types of moth balls use naphthalene, which after prolonged exposure can damage or
destroy red blood cells, and which can also stimulate nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
9. Pesticides
Ninety percent of households in the United States use some form of pesticide, a broad
term that encompasses a variety of chemical formulas that kill everything from tiny
microorganisms up to rodents. In 2006, the American Association of Poison Control
Centers received nearly 46,000 calls regarding children under 5 years old who had
been exposed to potentially toxic levels of pesticides.
Commonly used in mattresses, upholstery, television, and computer casings and circuit
boards, flame retardants use polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs for short.
Two forms of PBDEs were phased out of use in manufacturing in the United States in
2004 because of related health threats, but the products containing them linger on.
Studies have linked PBDEs to learning and memory problems, lowered sperm counts
and poor thyroid functioning in rats and mice. Other animal studies have indicated that
PBDEs could be carcinogenic in humans, although that has not yet been confirmed.
1. Cosmetic Phthalates
Phthalates, also called plasticizers, go into many products including hair spray,
shampoos, fragrances, and deodorants. Phthalates bind the color and fragrance in
cosmetic products, and are also used to increase the durability and flexibility of plastics.
Like BPA, these hormone-like chemicals are linked to reproductive and developmental
problems in animals. Because of these findings, California and Washington State have
banned the use of phthalates in toys for younger children.