by Eileen Weber
Have you ever taken the time to find out what is actually in your laundry detergent? How about your shampoo? Or even the baby wash you use when the kids have bath time?
Most people don’t even give it a second thought. Yet, many products have high levels of contaminants like 1,4 dioxane, a known carcinogen to animals and the EPA says a probable one for humans. According to a May 22nd article in Natural News, David Steinman, who heads up the Green Patriot Working Group, initiated a study of harmful chemicals in the products we use. Working in conjunction with the Organic Consumer Association, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and the Clean Water Action California, the results of that study showed such staple household items like Tide laundry detergent had 55 parts per million of 1,4 dioxane. In fact, Tide was not the only Proctor & Gamble (P&G) product to contain high amounts of the chemical. The list also included Ivory Snow, Gain, Cheer and Era, some of the more frequently purchased detergents.
Natural and organic products often boast of being chemical-free. It may be a little shocking to know that traces of 1,4 dioxane can also be found in natural products as well. Granted, the levels are far lower than the more conventional products (the highest levels rate at 6 parts per million). But, they’re in there. And if they’re in the bottle, they end up on you and in the water. Planet Ultra Liquid and Mrs. Meyers laundry detergents were the top two natural products that contained traces of this chemical.
Most people don’t even give it a second thought. Yet, many products have high levels of contaminants like 1,4 dioxane, a known carcinogen to animals and the EPA says a probable one for humans. According to a May 22nd article in Natural News, David Steinman, who heads up the Green Patriot Working Group, initiated a study of harmful chemicals in the products we use. Working in conjunction with the Organic Consumer Association, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and the Clean Water Action California, the results of that study showed such staple household items like Tide laundry detergent had 55 parts per million of 1,4 dioxane. In fact, Tide was not the only Proctor & Gamble (P&G) product to contain high amounts of the chemical. The list also included Ivory Snow, Gain, Cheer and Era, some of the more frequently purchased detergents.
Natural and organic products often boast of being chemical-free. It may be a little shocking to know that traces of 1,4 dioxane can also be found in natural products as well. Granted, the levels are far lower than the more conventional products (the highest levels rate at 6 parts per million). But, they’re in there. And if they’re in the bottle, they end up on you and in the water. Planet Ultra Liquid and Mrs. Meyers laundry detergents were the top two natural products that contained traces of this chemical.
On the bright side, there were five natural brands that had no detectable traces of 1,4 dioxane: Clorox Green Works laundry detergent, ECOS laundry detergent (Earth Friendly Products), Life Tree laundry liquid, Method Squeaky Green laundry detergent, Seventh Generation Free & Clear laundry detergent.
Other companies may be at fault in processing their products with a known carcinogen. But Procter & Gamble has been fingered at the biggest culprit. Because of that, they have pledged to do something about it. According to a Green Patriot press release dated March 12, 2010, Steinman and Proctor & Gamble have come to an agreement that they will bring down the levels of 1,4 dioxane in 18 of their products, specifically their Herbal Essences line, to levels at or below 10 parts per million which is a much closer level to the natural products on the market.
In a June 4th company press release posted by DataMonitor.com, Bob McDonald, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Procter &Gamble, said, "The launch of the supplier environmental sustainability scorecard represents the next step in P&G's commitment to environmental sustainability and reflects the company's holistic, end-to-end supply chain strategy. We will grow P&G's business by touching and improving more consumers' lives in more parts of the world."
Aside from its cancer-causing properties, the chemical 1,4 dioxane is a byproduct in processing petrochemicals in order to reduce their harshness. In other words, it’s a softening agent. But this is not the only chemical byproduct that appears in our skin care that poses a health risk. Formaldehyde and phthalates, known cancer-causing agents, make a regular appearance in a broad range of products. But because they are byproducts, they aren’t listed on the ingredients. There is no warning label or any other indication that these products contain something harmful.
But are we just blowing this out of proportion? Not when you look at the big picture. There are plenty of other things we eat, drink, and breathe that are unhealthier than this. What it really comes down to is repeated exposure. Continual use of products with carcinogens only adds to the other carcinogens we meet every day. The air you breathe on your walk to the bus stop or the subway station. Your car on idle as you wait to pick up your kids from school. The apple you bite into that has been sprayed with pesticides. The contaminated water you drink with your next meal.
Just like anything else, buyer beware. Making conscientious choices about the products you and your family use can be the difference between staying healthy and getting sick.
Image courtesy of Woman’s Day.
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