Exposure through product use and disposal

We can be exposed to chemicals in consumer goods when:

Products are used. Many times, routine contact with products exposes people to toxic chemicals. Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) wood, used in products such as picnic tables, and playground equipment, leaches enough arsenic to routinely fail toxicity tests. Children are especially vulnerable because arsenic sticks to their hands and is ingested when hands get put into their mouths.
Products are discarded. Many of the everyday products we use in our homes, such as oven cleaners, furniture polish, and paints, contain known toxic ingredients. In addition to being exposed through inhalation when these chemicals are used, additional exposure through environmental contamination can occur when the unused portions of these products are thrown away or poured down the drain.
Products are incinerated. The combustion of chlorine containing products such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) -in fires or waste incineration - leads to the formation of hydrochloric acid and dioxins which are released into the air and water. Dioxin is one of the most carcinogenic substances known.
Products leak, drip, vent or are broken. Fever thermometers, fluorescent tubes, and light-up sneakers, all contain mercury. If the product breaks, mercury can be absorbed through direct contact. If it is thrown away, mercury can contaminate water sources, accumulating in organisms up the food chain.

Some chemicals used in products are listed on the label ingredients, but many are considered "proprietary" by the industry and are not disclosed. Even if we are conscientious consumers, and strive to make safe, informed choices, it is difficult to distinguish products that truly are "non-toxic."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has found that children who play on pressure-treated playsets face an increased risk of getting lung or bladder cancer later in life.

An analysis of the contents of vacuum bags from homes in King County revealed the presence of mercury and other heavy metals and hazardous pollutants. Mercury was detected in 5 out of 7 samples and phthalates were detected in all samples.

"Flashpoint," May 2002 King County Hazardous Waste Program monthly newsletter

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