Some common ingredients of household products, and their health effects
 

The table below is to assist you in identifying the chemicals present in various cleaning products and their known side effects.

Ingredient	Commonly found in	Environmental & Health Effects
Petroleum based detergents	- Laundry powders & liquids - Multipurpose cleaners - Toilet & bathroom cleaners - Pre-wash stain removers	- Many contain toxic impurities such as benzene - They are heavily polluting in their production - Allergic irritation of skin, lungs, sinuses, eyes - Biodegrade slowly & incompletely
Solvents	- Pre-wash stain removers - Oven cleaners	- Cause brain damage at high doses & can be addictive - Have been linked to infertility and miscarriages - Solvents contribute to air pollution & smog
Optical Brighteners	- Laundry powders & liquids	- They can cause skin irritation and allergies - Are petroleum derived and are slow to biodegrade
Synthetic fragrances	- All types of cleaners	- Can cause reactions to chemically sensitive people - Most are petroleum derived & biodegrade slowly
Chlorine bleaches & compounds	- Toilet cleaners - Bathroom mould removers - Auto. Dishwasher powders - Bleaches	- Originally used as a poison gas in WW1 - Irritates & damages throat & eyes, worsens asthma - Toxic to the brain and nervous system - Causes skin irritation and premature skin ageing
Phosphates	- Laundry powders & liquids - Automatic dishwasher powders	- An excess of this contributes to the eutrophication of waterways which often leads to toxic blue green algal blooms
Ammonia	- Multipurpose cleaners - Oven cleaners	- The vapours are highly irritating to eyes and nose - High concentrations attack the lung membranes & worsens asthma, bronchitis and emphysema
Phenol/Phenyl	- Disinfectants	- Extremely toxic when swallowed & are rapidly absorbed by the skin - Repeated exposure can damage the brain, liver, kidney and spleen - Kills the bacteria in sewerage-treatment works
NTA	- Laundry powders & liquids - Automatic dishwasher powders	- It has cancer causing properties & can cause birth defects - Phosphate replacement which is slow to biodegrade
EDTA	- Laundry powders & liquids - Auto. Dishwasher powders	- Degrades slowly and forms compounds with heavy metals bringing them back into the water system

Table Source: PlanetArk

Chlorinated phenols found in toilet bowl cleaners are toxic to respiratory and circulatory systems.

Diethylene glycol found in window cleaners depresses the nervous system.

Phenols found in disinfectants are toxic to respiratory and circulatory systems.

Nonylphenol ethoxylate, a common surfactant (detergent) found in laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners, is banned in Europe. it has been shown to biodegrade slowly into even more toxic compounds.

Formaldehyde found in spray and wick deodorizers is a respiratory irritant and suspected carcinogen.

Petroleum solvents in floor cleaners damage mucous membranes.

Perchloroethylene, a spot remover, causes liver and kidney damage.

Butyl cellosolve, common in all-purpose, window and other types of cleaners, damages bone marrow, the nervous system, kidneys and the liver. The list could fill a book. And it’s a book that would include thousands of other chemicals — some so dangerous that they’re found on lists of chemicals associated with Superfund toxic waste sites and in the toxins section of the U.S. Clean Air and Water Acts.