The Hidden Toxins in Your Home by Parents Magazine

The Hidden Toxins in Your Home by Parents Magazine

(Parents Magazine, July 2005, page 144) Chemicals in everyday Products could make your kids sick. But there are ways to stay safe. By Rebecca Kahlenberg

A few years ago, Brenda Jones hired a lawn-care company to get rid of the weeds and bugs that had taken over the yard of her home in Bradenton, Florida. But shortly after the lawn was sprayed, everyone ion her family started feeling sick. Brenda got a burning sensation in her throat and began coughing. Her children, Jeffrey and Kara, who were 7 and 3, complained of headaches and nausea. Her husband, Wayne, thought he had the flu. Even the family dog, Amore, was vomiting and sneezing.

Several days later, their family doctor concluded that their symptoms had been caused by the pesticides the lawn company had used. "We were shocked," says Brenda, who has vowed never to use lawn chemicals again. "We thought we were protecting our kids from harmful insects, not doing something that could hurt them."

Fortunately, the Jones’ experience is not very common. Most people do not have such severe reactions to the weed killers widely used on suburban lawns. But their story underscores an issue of growing concern to environmental-health experts: the fact that many common chemicals found in and around the average American home can be harmful to humans—especially to babies and young children.

Experts do know that babies and young children are much more vulnerable than adults to the effects of many toxins. Why? Children weigh less, so any harmful substances that they eat, breathe, or absorb through their skin have a bigger impact on their developing body. What’s more, "children live and play down on the floor, where toxic vapor and dust accumulate, and they’re constantly putting their fingers in their mouth," says pediatrician Philip Landrigan, M.D., director of the Center for Children’s Health and the Environment, based at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He worries that exposure to toxins may be responsible, at least in part, for the increasing rates of asthma, developmental disorders and cancer in kids.

Families must take it upon themselves to read labels and learn the hard lesson that most manufacturers will always opt for profits over consumer safety. Even reading labels can be tricky, as some items, if under a certain percentage of total product, are not required to be added to the label. 

The best rule of thumb is to read labels, and if you see something you do not recognize, it probably is not safe. To be sure, one can check online to see whether a chemical is a natural derivative, or a toxic chemical that could harm their family. Below are links that can help you determine if your products are safe:

• Household Products Database
• TOXNET - Databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, environmental health, and toxic releases.
• Consumer Product Information Database