Are the Products You Use Everyday Putting Your Health at Risk?
A new study by the Silent Spring Institute and the University of California, Berkeley has shattered the commonly held assumption that everyday consumer products are safe.
The study reveals that people are regularly coming into contact with toxic ingredients found in products used both at home and in the workplace, which could pose a serious risk to their health.
The research highlights that many commonly used products such as body lotions, shampoos, cleaners, paint removers, and mothballs contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can escape as gases and accumulate in indoor air, potentially causing cancer and other health issues.
New Study Shatters Assumptions of Product Safety: Harmful Chemicals Found in Everyday Items
“This study is the first to reveal the extent to which toxic VOCs are used in everyday products of all types that could lead to serious health problems,” comments lead author Kristin Knox. “Making this information public could incentivize manufacturers to reformulate their products and use safer ingredients.”
In this study, researchers led by Kristin Knox and colleagues sought an unconventional source of data: The California Air Resources Board (CARB). Over the course of three decades, CARB has diligently tracked volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in consumer products, aiming to combat smog. When exposed to sunlight, VOCs react with other pollutants, ultimately forming smog’s primary component, ozone.
Operating under its Consumer Product Regulatory program, CARB regularly surveys companies selling products in California, collecting extensive information ranging from hair spray to windshield wiper fluid. The data encompasses details on VOC concentrations in various product types and their sales volume within the state. However, CARB does not disclose data specific to individual products.
Publishing their findings in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the researchers meticulously analyzed the latest CARB data, focusing on 33 VOCs listed under California’s Prop 65 law—a legislation safeguarding citizens’ right to be informed about chemicals causing cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. To comply with the law, companies selling products in California must caution users if their products contain significant levels of these hazardous chemicals.
Alarming results emerged from the team’s analysis, revealing that over 100 types of products contain Prop 65 VOCs. Among them, the researchers flagged 30 items, including multiple personal care products, which warrant closer scrutiny due to their frequent inclusion of harmful chemicals and potential health risks. It’s worth noting that CARB’s reporting solely focuses on VOCs, omitting other toxic chemicals listed under Prop 65, such as lead, from the analysis.
Of particular concern are products used in occupational settings, as workers often employ a multitude of different products, each likely containing at least one hazardous chemical. For example, nail and hair salon professionals utilize nail polishes, polish removers, artificial nail adhesives, hair straighteners, and various cosmetics. The researchers’ analysis revealed that this combination of products can harbor up to nine different Prop 65 VOCs. Likewise, janitors may use an assortment of general cleaners, degreasers, detergents, and maintenance products, potentially exposing themselves to over 20 Prop 65 VOCs.
“The same thing goes for auto and construction workers. All these exposures add up and might cause serious harm,” remarks co-author Meg Schwarzman. “At the most basic level, workers deserve to know what they’re exposed to. But, ultimately, they deserve safer products and this study should compel manufacturers to make significant changes to protect workers’ health.”
Top 11 Toxic Chemicals Found in Everyday Products
In a recent study, researchers identified 11 out of the 33 VOCs listed under Prop 65 that manufacturers should eliminate from products due to their high toxicity and widespread use.
The study also revealed other concerning findings, including the fact that formaldehyde was the most common Prop 65 VOC found in personal care items such as nail polish, shampoo, and makeup.
For products used in the home, general purpose cleaners, art supplies, and laundry detergents contained the most Prop 65 VOCs. Additionally, adhesives were found to contain over a dozen different Prop 65 VOCs, highlighting the potential for workers to be exposed to multiple toxic chemicals from using just one type of product.
After analyzing the CARB data, the researchers calculated the total quantity of Prop 65 VOCs that were emitted from indoor consumer products, and the results were alarming. In the state of California alone, over 5,000 tons of volatile Prop 65 chemicals were released from such products in the year 2020. Shockingly, almost 300 tons of that amount were attributed to the use of mothballs, specifically 1,4-dichlorobenzene.
“Although Prop 65 has reduced the public’s exposure to toxic chemicals both through litigation and by incentivizing companies to reformulate their products, people continue to be exposed to many unsafe chemicals,” points out co-author Claudia Polsky. “This study shows how much work remains for product manufacturers and regulators nationwide, because the products in CARB’s database are sold throughout the U.S.”
Solutions to Combat Toxic VOCs in Consumer Products
According to the latest study, manufacturers should reformulate the types of products they produce by replacing toxic VOCs with safer ingredients to offer a solution to the widespread toxicity issue.
Additionally, the authors suggest that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency consider regulating five additional chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), including ethylene oxide, styrene, 1,3-dichloropropene, diethanolamine, and cumene, based on their findings.
Source: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07247
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