Hazards in Cleaning Chemicals
STUDY QUESTIONS SAFETY OF CLEANING PRODUCTS: A national study drawing a link between cleaning products and their potential impact on people's health found that in Massachusetts and New Jersey, a combined 28 million pounds of chemicals that have "suspected" harmful toxics were used in soaps and detergents. The study also cites an additional 259 million pounds of chemicals used in specialty cleaners and polishers. Chemical exposure can be harmful to women's reproductive systems and child development and cause respiratory complications, the report says. Issued by the national organization Women Voices for the Earth (WVE), the report comes a day before one of its affiliated partners, The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, plans to testify in Massachusetts before the Legislature's Committee on Public Health on environmental health bills. The Alliance plans to support two pieces of legislation to further regulate the use of cleaning products in schools, hospitals, day care centers and public housing. The supporters of the bills (H 2246 and S 2201) hope to reduce asthma rates and other health threats by requiring the use of state-approved "environmentally safe" cleaning product alternatives. The report calls for manufacturers to disclose chemicals in their products so consumers know whether or not they are using unsafe cleaning products. "This report further corroborates the science we've reviewed that shows a clear reason to take caution when using cleaning chemicals, especially due to the rising rates of asthma among our school children," said Leise Jones, spokeswoman for the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow. "When there are safer alternatives out there, it only makes common sense for Massachusetts public schools and buildings to use them, to ensure a healthier future for our children." The bill sponsors are Diane Wilkerson (D-Boston) and Frank Smizik (D-Brookline), House chairman of the Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. According to the WVE, the authors of the report sent a letter to 23 manufacturers of cleaning products requesting the full disclosure of "chemicals of concern" to consumers through product labels and none of the companies responded with willingness to comply with the request, WVE said. State House News Service
Added on July 24, 2007 by RachelCarson100
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