A Home Tour for Toxic Products u joint project of Washington Toxics Coalition 7 Metrocenter YMCA King County Cooperative Extension funded by Washington Department of Ecology
Written by Richard Conlin Printed in July, 1991 Project Team Richard Conlin, Olga Schifani Metrocenter YMCA Philip Dickey Washington Toxics Coalition Curt Moulton, Jan Grant Washington State University Coopera five Extension We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Hazard Free Home Technical Advisory Committee: Jerry Bjork, Consumer Products Safety Committee Steve Burke, Seattle-King County Department of Public Health Josh Chaitin, Washington Department of Ecology Sharon Collman, EPA/Cooperative Extension Dave Galvin, Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle Lisa Sepanski, King County Solid Waste Division Organizational affiliations do not indicate endorsement,but are for identification purposes only. Views expressed and any errors in the text are the responsiblility of the author.
Table of Contents Introduction.....................,.................................. 1 A Toxics Tour...,...,.,...,. 2 You are the Tour Guide: Looking for Toxic Products... 3 Household Cleaners... Paints, Glues and Solvents... 7 Pesticides........._.._.......................... 9 Automotive Products... 14 Miscellaneous..._.,... 15 Summing it Up... 17 Words Used... 19 For a copy of the Household Products Safety Survey, reminder stickers, or more information about the Hazard Free Home project, contact: Richard Coniin or Olga Schifani, Metrocenter YMCA 909 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 382-5013 Philip Dickey, Washington Toxics Coalition, 4516 University Way N.E. Seattle, WA 98105 (206) 632-1545 Curt Moulton or Jan Grant, WSU Cooperative Extension, 612 Smith Tower, Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 296-3900
H azardous products are a part of our lives. Polishing cars, cleaning toilets, unplugging clogged drains, painting fences, and spraying for insects are common activities. Many of the things we use for these purposes can be replaced by less hazardous or non-hazardous alternative products or actions. In a few cases, there are not safer choices. In those cases, it is important to take special care with the hazardous products being used. One problem with having hazardous products in the home is that they can cause fires and poisonings. The Seattle Poison Center receives over 70,000 calls each year from people who have spilled or swallowed hazardous household products. Many cases involve children. Damage to the health and life of growing children is a major concern. f Iazardous products can also cause environmental problems. This includes water pollution and poisoning of animals. Used motor oil poured irrto Puget Soirrrd each year tfrrough stortri drains nrrd strenrrrs is nbont as much as.a rtiedium size tanker cnrries - about 2 rrdlion gallons. A pesticide, diazinon, which used to be sprayed on golf courses to kill insects, has caused the death of many geese and ducks when they landed on grass and ate the poisoned insects. Diazinon has been banned from use on golf courses but can still be bought by the public. 0
We hope that you will want to reduce the risks to yourself and your family, and to the environment th; we all share. You can do that by taking a Toxics Tour of your house and filling out the Household Products Safety Survey. A Toxics Tour T he purpose of this tour is to find things you can change to make a safer home and cleaner environment. When you have completed this Toxics Tour, you should make these decisions: 1. Which of these products can I use up according to the label, and then replace with a less hazardous or non-hazardous altema tive? 2. Which of these products could be used up safely by a neighbor or a local church or theater group? 3. Which of these products am I not willing or able to replace with a non-hazardous substitute? 4. Which of these products should be disposed of at a household hazardous waste collection? (Call the Seattle-King County Health Department Hazards Line, 296-4692, to find out about a collection near you.) Use the reminder stickers to help you remember what you have decided. To help in your search'for hazardous household products and to find a1 ternatives that are non-hazardous, read on.
You are the Tour Guide: Looking for Toxic Products B e sure to look at all possible storage places, from the floor to high shelves. Open cupboards and closets. Look to find hazardous products. Check also that they are safely stored. And make sure the boxes and cans the products are in are not broken or leaking. Think about where you have hazardous products. Are they where children or pets can reach them? Are they in places where they could cause a fire danger (near furnace or other source of heat)? Are incompatible products (see Words Used and examples below) stored together? Look for places that could be unstable in a storm or earthquake. Watch for containers that might fall or tip over, that have tops that do not fit, or that have no tops. Check for leaking containers. Look for containers that have labels missing, marked over, faded, or covered with paint. You may find products that need to be disposed of carefully at a household hazardous waste collection, or products that you need to take special care with. Place one of the reminder stickers on those containers to help you to remember what you should do with it.
Household Cleaners It is important to act quickly since it is easier to remove a stain while still wet. First, put a cloth on the stain to Chlorine. bleach is an irritant and can react with ammonia to create a toxic gas. Hydrogen peroxide
bleaches or dry bleaches that have borates or carbonates instead of chlorine can be used instead, and can work for stain removal. Avoid those that contain phosphates. While still hazardous, these bleaches are much safer for the environment. If you are washing diapers, and use chlorine bleach to kill germs, be very careful in using and storing it. For diaper rash, Dr. Spock recommends an extra rinse with 1 /2 to one cup vinegar. Borax is another alternative for whitening clothes. Borax can be used for many other cleaning jobs in the house. Furniture polishes usually contain petroleum distillates, catch fire easily, and can be hazardous if you breathe them. Waxes are safer. Olive oil, peanut oil, or almond oil work very well for furniture that is not varnished. For varnished furniture, use a wax or other product that does not have a "DANGER" label. There is no need to use a toxic chemical for this task., In kitchens and bathrooms you may find drain cleaners. These are among the most hazardous products people often have in the home. They can be replaced with mechanical and non-toxic substitutes. Many drain cleaners are extremely corrosive. The label will tell you to use gloves and not to get on skin or in eyes. Baking soda can be used with vinegar to clean drains. Put equal amounts of baking soda followed by vinegar down the drain. Follow with a teakettle of boiling water. If this does not work, try a
mechanical snake. This can be bought or rented. It s what the plumber will bring if you call one. Disinfectants and special toilet bowl cleaners are toxic and normally not necessary in the home. A good cleaning will take care of the job. Use baking soda to clean the bathtub, sink, and toilet. A little liquid soap on the sponge will make it work even better. To attack mildew between tiles, put some baking soda on it and spray vinegar while using a stiff brush to scrub away the mildew. It works as well as many cleaners, and costs a lot less. Soaps work well with baking soda for cleaning. In the kitchen, cleaning takes place side by side with preparing food. That s one very good reason to use non-hazardous cleaners that will not end up in your dinner. Cleaning powders can contain bleach, which can react with ammonia to create a toxic gas. Many oven cleaners are extremely corrosive. The label will tell you to use gloves and to not get on skin or in eyes. Protect yourself if you use these. Better still look for oven cleaners that are less hazardous. Most of these products have safe and effective alternatives. Use baking soda or salt as a scouring powder. Oven cleaning, always a major chore, can be avoided by lining the oven with aluminum foil (CAUTION: if the foil touches the heating element, it can cause a problem. Call Cooperative Extension for directions if you need help). Baking soda and liquid soap can help clean the areas around the foil. It may take extra work, but you avoid breathing poisonous fumes or risking
burning your hands or arms with a corrosive product. A copper scrubbing pad and a razor blade can get out the hard stuff. Paints, Glues, and Solvents P aints contain heavy metals and addifives that can be toxic. Oil- or solvent-based paint contains solvents that can be a hazard to your lungs when you use them. Latex paint replaces oil-based paint and thinners. For most household uses oil-based paints will soon go off the market. Latex paint is a better choice w for most jobs. Remember to use protective equipment with solvent-based paint. Check paints for age and to see if they contain mercury, lead, or pesticides. It can be hard to find this out. Newer paints do not have lead. Older paints may unless they say "lead-free". If the label says that the paint will control fungus or mildew, it may have mercury or another pesticide. Check with a paint store or the Health Department Hazards Line if you are unsure. If lead, mercury, or pesticides are in the paints, you should take the paints to a hazardous waste collection. If the products are fairly new and clean, they should be used up before they go bad with age. A little bit of paint that does not have lead or mercury can be opened to dry completely. Then put it in the trash.
Strippers, varnishes and other solvents can be very dangerous, especially if you breathe them. If you must use them, be sure to use a respirator, goggles, gloves, and protective clothing. You can replace strippers with sanding or with safer water-based products. You may have solvents that you will not be using up according to directions. Give them to someone who will use them up properly or take them to a household hazardous waste collection. Citrus based solvents can be used for some jobs, and are generally safer than other types. Rubber cement and many glues are hazardous products because they contain solvents. You can use safer glues for many purposes and avoid hazards. Since these products are often used by children, this is a very important place to be careful. The safest glues are white and yellow wood glues, glue sticks, and pastes.
Pesticides P esticides kill things. Some can hurt you as well as the pests they are supposed to control. They may also hurt other animals and plants. There are many mechanical and biological pest controls to replace pesticides and poisons. Good yard and garden development and maintenance can prevent the need for many pesticides. Look for banned pesticides (see the Safety Survey). Take these to a household hazardous waste collection as soon as possible. If you have other pesticides, think about rvhat they are for and how often they are U used. If possible, change to alternatives and dispose of the pesticides at a hazardous waste collection. Check with Cooperative Extension s Master Gardener program for advice, taped information, or publications (296-3900). YOU can also call the Washington Toxics Coalition (632-1545) or Seattle Tilth (633-0451) for more informa tion. Here s a guide to help you to decide what, when, and how to use pesticides: 1. Planning Start with planning your yard or garden. Think about the plants you want. Many kinds are better than
others at resisting pests. For example, pea plants are often attacked by a virus called enation. There s not much you can do to save them once they have been attacked. There are pea varieties that will resist enation. Check the label on the seeds. If you plant those varieties you can prevent this problem. For ornamental plants, you will usually have better luck with those which are from this area or grow well here. Rye grasses and fine-leafed fescue will perform better as a Northwest lawn than bent grasses and Kentucky bluegrasses. Getting off to the right start can help you avoid a lot of hassles later. 2. Maintenance Once you ve got the right plants, use the recommended pa ttem of fertilizing, watering, and maintaining the plants to keep them healthy and better able to resist pests. For lawns, use a fertilizer that is high in insoluble nitrogen (read the label or ask the store). Never use weed and feed type products. 3. Pest Identification If it s too late for that - the pests have already arrived - identify the insects you are seeing. Ninety-seven per cent of all kinds of insects are helpful or harmless to humans and the plants we try to grow. Some of the insects you see may be eating the ones that are causing damage! If you kill helpful insects, then you have to do their work. Even harmful insects may not be a big problem if there are only a few of them. Look at your yard, and decide what you can live with. A
totally insect free garden is impossible. Accepting this fact can reduce your stress level and protect the environment as well. 4. Non-Chemical Controls If you have a problem which is serious enough to require action, mechanical or biological controls are more specific. They can allow you to avoid the use of dangerous chemicals. Mechanical controls can be used to prevent problems without causing new ones. Floating row covers, available at most gardening stores, can protect vegetables from many types of insects. Call Cooperative Extension for informa tion on how to use them. Traps can get rid of many different kinds of pests. Hand picking works well with larger pests. Try going out at night &th a flashlight if you cannot identify the pest. Many are active in the dark. Predators such as ladybugs or germs such as Bacillus thurigiensis, which attacks caterpillars, may solve your problem. These solutions will not damage your health or the environment. And they will often cost you less money! Be sure you have looked at all non-chemical options before trying a chemical pesticide. 5. Chemical Control: the Last Resort Finally, if you have a problem that you cannot control, and you decide that you must use a chemical pest control product, make sure that it is the best product for the job.
Find the least toxic chemical that will work on the SPECIFIC PEST that you are trying to control. Befo. you buy it, check to see if you or your neighbor already have some. READ THE LABEL! Labels on pesticides are required by law to tell you certain things. They almost always tell how to use the pesticide and what it can be used for. It is against the law to use a pesticide except as the label says. Look for the key words which must be on the label to tell you about possible hazards. The most hazardous pesticides are labelled "DANGER". "WARNING" means less hazard. "CAUTION" means even less risk. It is important to understand that the signal words are based on known human health risks. They may not tell about long-term effects on humans or effects on the environment. However, if you must use a pesticide, it is a good rule of thumb to select a pesticide that has a "CAUTION" label instead of one Ilia t has 'WARNING'' or "DANGER". DO NOT apply pesticides as a fine spray. The spray can miss the pest and cause problems in other areas. I-lose-end sprayers are very hard to control. It is also easy to fill them with too much for the target plant or area. Apply only WHERE NEEDED. Apply only DURING A TIME when the product wil work best. Some pesticides only work on specific stages of the Life of an insect.
WEAR I ROTECTIVE clothing and equipment to prevent harming yourself. WATCH the results to avoid overuse. Do not expect to get rid of all pests. NEVER apply a pest control chemical unless you have a problem. Do not spray every month to prevent a pest problem. That is like watering down your house every month to prevent fires. It is wasteful, expensive, and unlikely to work. It will probably cause other problems. You may kill the predators which might control the pest problem. NEVER use more pesticides than the label says. Use only least toxic, labelled pesticides in a vegetable garden on plants you will be eating. If you have to use pesticides often, something is wrong. Get advice on how to correct the cause of the problem. House plant insecticides are both dangerous to use in indoor air and to store in living areas. Flea controls can also be a problem. Substitutes may take more time and work. With care, toxic products can be avoided. Roach killers and lice shampoo should be carefully stored out of the reach of children. Roach poison is a poison to more than just the cockroaches. To prevent roaches, keep all food well sealed. Fix leaky faucets and plug cracks where they may hide. Use traps to keep track of the problem. The safest chemical controls are boric acid and
diatomaceous earth. Use chemicals only in or near cracks where insects hide,'not on all surfaces. Lice shampoos with lindane are more hazardous than those made with pyrethrum. Check the label to see what chemical is the main ingredient. Pentachlorophenol is a hazard in wood preservatives, Any product with Penta should be disposed of as soon as possible at a household hazardous waste collection. This chemical can cause cancer. Do you really need a wood preservative? A wood preservative is a pesticide. It should be used with the same care and caution. Automotive Products il and gasoline can catch fire easily and are poisonous. They can also cause cancer. 0 Spilled antifreeze can poison pets 8 or wild animals. They like its sweet taste. Two teaspoonfuls is enough to kill an average dog. Car batteries contain lead. They are also filled with acids that can burn and injure skin. There are no substitutes for gasoline and motor oil as long as you drive a car or truck. Take a look at the car maintenance items you have. Maybe there are some of them that you really do not need. You can reduce your use of these
products and of gasoline and motor oil by carpooling, biking, walking, and using buses. Proper care and disposal of used motor oil, old batteries, and used antifreeze means recycling them, not dumping them down a drain. If a service station changes your oil or antifreeze, they will recycle that waste for you. Call the Health Department Hazards Line, 296-4692 to find the nearest place to take used oil or antifreeze. Gasoline is a special problem. Think about the reason you store gasoline. If you really do not need it, use it up or give it to someone who will. NEVER use gasoline for cleaning brushes or killing weeds. If you need it for a lawn mower or other appliance, store it in an approved container and in a place where it will not become heated or spill. Improperly stored gasoline can cause fires, so check container and location with care. Miscellaneous eauty products, like home permanent and dyes, may be hazardous. Nail polish and remover are very toxic. They also catch fire easily. Check the labels. Be careful when using any of these products. Nail polish, remover, and hair spray are products where you can make a choice about risks. These are hazardous products that you put on your body. Look at the labels and decide if you really want to keep using them.
It is easier to stop using beauty products than to find safer alternatives. If you do not polish your nails, you do not use polish and hazardous polish remover. The hazardous products used in beauty salons can be more harmful than those in the home. Many hobby chemicals (like chemistry sets, photographic chemicals, or artist s paints) are very dangerous if used without proper care. Some of them are sold without labels that tell you the hazards. Use water-based substitutes for art supplies when you can. Be safe when you use hobby products. Keep windows open or use them outside. Put tops on products when not in use. Protect your eyes. Store them with care. Dispose of used or out-of-date products through household hazardous waste collections. Medicines are the most common cause of home poisonings. They should only be taken by the person the doctor gave them to. Use only in the amount on the label or told to you by your doctor. It is very important to keep them in places that children can not reach. Have the Poison Center number (526-2121) on all bottles and next to the phone. Do not keep medicines that will not be used. Ask your doctor about the safety of medicines. Ask him/her to suggest safer alternatives when possible. If you have a pool or hot tub, look at ozone generators or other substitutes. Pool and hot tub chemicals are very dangerous, and need to be properly stored and carefully used.
Summing it up W hen finding the hazardous products in your house, you can do a few simple things to make your life easier and your home safer. Be sure that all products are properly labelled and in their original containers. Carefully label any that are riot in their original container. Store flammable products away from any source of heat or flame. Store all hazardous products out of reach of pets and children. Put Mr. Yuk Stickers on poisons and on cupboards they are stored in. Decide if any of the products should be disposed of (if they are very old, you have no more need of them, or if they are especially hazardous or are a banned pesticide). M For products that you have found a safe and effective alternative for, use up the products you have first. If you wish to dispose of household hazardous products, call the HeaIth Department Hazards Line, 296-4692, to find out about a collection service near you. Changing from products that are hazardous to those that are less hazardous to you and the environment can be hard. What you do in your home is important. You can reduce the amounts of hazardous materials tfiat rea& the environment. Take a Toxics Tour of your home and begin making a difference!
There is much more information on alternatives to hazardous products than can be given here. Here are some additional places you can get informa tion from: You can get a very helpful information sheet called "Cafe Alternatives" by calling Metro Water Pollution Irtrol Department at 684-1280. You can get a more detailed pamphlet called "Turning the Tide" by calling the Ecology Hotline at 1-800-RECYCLE. For specific information about yard, garden, and home maintenance call Cooperative Extension at 296-3900. Or get one of the dozen or more publications available from Washington Toxics Coalition by calling 632-1545.
In General Words Used Environmental problems, pollution: Making the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the place we live harmful to people and other living things. Hazard, hazardous, toxic: Products that can hurt you or your environment. Different types of hazards are: Corrosive: Eats through or destroys skin or other things. Flammable: Catches fire easily. Toxic: Poisons or causes cancer or other diseases. Incompatible products: Products that. can combine to explode or make a poison. Ammonia and chlorine bleach are the most common in the home. They combine to make poisonous chloramine gas. Storm drains: Drains in the street that carry away rain water. They take it directly to a stream or lake. If storm drains have used oil or other hazardous products in them, these will go right into the stream or lake.,
Cleaning Products Bleach: A product that removes colors and helps in cleaning. Chlorine bleach has chlorine. It kills germs and is poisonous. Hydrogen Peroxide bleach uses a different chemical. It is not as hazardous as chlorine. Dry bleadiss come in powder form. They are irsually milder and easier to use. Borax: a product that can be used instead of bleach. Phosphates: Chemicals used in some detergents and fertilizers. They can cause environmental problems in lakes and rivers. Pest Control Products Kinds of pest controls: Mechanical: Machines, traps, or other things that do riot use chemicals. Includes actions like swatting flies or digging tip weeds. Biological: Using other animals or plants to control pests. Could be germs that kill them, animals that eat them, or plants that smell or taste bad to pests. Chemical: "Pesticides", substances that are toxic to pests and kill them.
Pesticides: A substance that kills or poisons pests. If it kills piants, it can be called a herbicide. If it kills insects, it may be called an insecticide. Banned Pesticide: A pesticide that is so dangerous that it can no lohger be sold. Boric Acid: A pest control for ants; moderately toxic. Diatomaceous earth: crushed "shells." Kills some pests, not dangerous to humans unless in haled. Diazinon: Pesticide used on lawns to kill crane flies and other pests. Very dangerous to some birds. Lindane: Very dangerous pesticide, banned for most uses. Still available in lice shampoos. Pentachlorophenol or "penta": A pesticide banned from home use because of its danger Still used on some wood products and roofs. Very toxic. Pyrethrum: Pesticides made from a chrysanthemum flower. Somewhat toxic to humans, but breaks down quickly in the environment. Wood Preservatives: Pesticides that protect wood from insects and other pests, usually painted on the wood.
Paints and Other Products Paints: Latex: Uses water as a base and for clean up. Low hazard, except for possibility of mercury or lead in paint. Oil or Solvent Paint: Has a chemical solvent, requites thinner to clean up. The solvent is toxic. Solvent: A liquid that dissolves other things. Citrus Based Solvent: Solvent made from lemons or orange peel. Generally safer, but still have some hazards. Petroleum Distillates: Solvents made from oil. Toxic and flammable. Thinners: Solvents used to,make oil paints more liquid and to clean brushes. Toxic. Disinfectants: Chemicals used to kill germs mid viruses. Heavy Metals: Metals that are poisonous to humans and other living things. Includes lead, mercury, and other metals. Ozone Generator: A machine that uses ozone to disinfect water for hot tubs and pools. Ozone: A form of oxygen that can kill germs.
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This pirblicatiort was prepared in accordawe with a Public Parficipafion Grunt from fhe Washingfon State Department of Ecology. The Department does not endorse fhe opinions, concl~rsiom, or recommendations expressed herein.