Chemicals You’ve Heard Were Dangerous But Never Knew Why!

 

from a highly toxic element to harmful  substances found in everyday cleaners  today we look at chemicals you've heard  were dangerous but never knew why number  12  sodium hydroxide this inorganic compound  is widely used in manufacturing paper  soaps detergents textiles drinking water  and drain cleaner sodium hydroxide is a  highly corrosive base in alkali that can  cause severe chemical burns this is  because of chemical reactions that occur  when it contacts another substance it  can also result in blindness if it comes  into contact with one's eyes therefore  protective equipment and safety clothing  must be worn when handling this chemical  when it dissolves sodium hydroxide is  exothermic as well meaning it can ignite  flammable materials and cause heat burns  number 11 parabens all of us have heard  of parabens but many don't know exactly  what they are or what makes them  dangerous they're preservatives that are  commonly used in pharmaceutical and  cosmetic products and there are several  different kinds parabens are often found  in things like shaving gels moisturizers  shampoos makeup and toothpaste as well  as various other everyday items some of  the more typical parabens are ethyl  paraben methylparaben Hetzel paraben and  propyl paraben so far no direct links  between parabens and cancer have been  discovered but that doesn't mean these  chemicals are always safe the majority  of paraben toxicity information has come  from single exposure inspections meaning  there is a single kind of paraben in a  single product this is believed to be  safe as research suggests it poses an  insignificant threat to one's endocrine  system the issue with these studies is  that they don't take into account the  daily use of several paraben containing  items although research points to an  extremely low risk of certain cancers as  the result of parabens it has indicated  that the methylparaben in some cosmetic  products mixed with UVB rays from the  Sun can lead to faster skin aging DNA  damage and skin cancer  number ten glyphosate this chemical is a  systemic herbicide or weed pillar it was  first introduced to the market in 1974  under the name roundup which is still  used today  glyphosate effectively gets rid of a  wide spectrum of plants like fraud  leaved  and woody plants as well as grasses and  is one of the most commonly used  herbicides although it has generally low  toxicity to people when ingested orally  people have passed away from a  deliberate overdose glyphosate also  hasn't been proven to have carcinogenic  effects on people but a small amount of  evidence suggests that it may increase  the risk of cancer in people who are  exposed to large amounts of the chemical  while working such as in agricultural  occupations however California  recognized the substance as carcinogenic  in 2017 is an ongoing case prohibited  the state from enforcing product labels  on things containing glyphosate do  through the overwhelming evidence that  it isn't a cancer risk number nine  triclosan also known as TCS this is a  common chemical in many products  including detergents soaps and  toothpaste it was originally used in the  1970s as a hospital scrub but it has  greatly expanded since then TCS is an  antifungal and antibacterial agent that  acts as a bacterial stat meaning it  prevents bacteria from reproducing  without necessarily eliminating it we  become exposed to triclosan via skin  absorption which is common when we're  washing our hands taking a shower doing  the dishes or using mouthwash this  chemical is classified as a contaminant  of emerging concern because it is being  investigated for health risks one  concern is that TCS has been connected  with higher food allergy risks because  exposure to certain bacteria reduces  allergies this brings us to a more  significant danger the overuse of  triclosan could result in bacterial  resistance dangerous bacteria such as a  coli can develop a resistance to  triclosan rendering it useless number  eight sodium laureth sulfate this other  common chemical is found in various  personal care items including shampoo  toothpaste and soaps and is an effective  foaming agent  it is produced via a chemical reaction  called a sock solution of dodecyl  alcohol which is a product of coconut or  palm kernel oil although most people  enjoy foaming soaps and shampoos this  chemical is a proven skin in IE rheton  plus some items that have sodium laureth  sulfate in them also contain traces of 1  4 dioxane a byproduct of the ethoxide  process it is classified as a group 2b  carcinogen meaning it has the potential  to cause cancer in humans although the  FDA recommends 1 4 dioxane be removed  from consumer products federal law  doesn't require it number 7 ammonia this  chemical compound is made of nitrogen  and hydrogen and is a colorless gas that  exhibits a noticeable smell it is often  used in cleaning products such as Windex  because it results in a streak-free  shine ammonia is listed as an extremely  hazardous substance in the US and  companies that use it in significant  amounts must adhere to strict reporting  requirements exposure to high  concentrations of this chemical can  cause lung damage and demise what makes  it even more likely to affect you is  that since it's a common household  cleaner people who are unaware of the  threat might mix it with bleach by  accident while tidying up their homes  this chemical reaction of ammonia and  bleach creates toxic chloramine fumes  which cause coughing sore throat runny  nose watery eyes and chest congestion  number 6  trans fats everyone has heard to stay  away from trans fats but most people  aren't sure why also known as trans  unsaturated fatty acids or trans fatty  acids this kind of unsaturated fat is  found in small amounts in milk fat and  meat in the early 20th century companies  began producing trans fats industrially  from fish and vegetable oils to use in  margarine later on they began using it  in prepackaged snacks and baked goods as  well as to fry fast foods trans fats are  performed through partial hydrogenation  resulting in the hydrogen atoms of a  naturally occurring unsaturated fatty  acid to move to different sides of the  molecule chain this is called trans  which is Latin for a cross since the  trans fats bond configuration allows the  molecules to pact  gather more tightly it is a much higher  melting point than other fatty acids  this means that it is still solid at  normal body temperatures  the reason these fats are used in so  many products is that they extend shelf  life and decrease the need for  refrigeration but the negatives far  outweigh the positives they don't  provide any health benefits and increase  bad cholesterol levels while lowering  good cholesterol levels so consuming  trans fats can lead to coronary artery  disease and there is no consumption  level deemed safe according to the  National Academy of Sciences number 5  saw lates these are chemical compounds  derived from salic acid and are added to  plastics to increase your ability  flexibility a transparency and longevity  since the lates are so widely used most  people are exposed to them in some way  CDC tests indicate that the majority of  Americans have end-products of this  chemical in their urine a study done in  Sweden in 2012 showed that children can  ingest the lights through their skin and  by breathing plus one's diet is thought  to be the primary source of ingested  thal aids with common fatty foods  containing the chemical the reason this  matters is because of the adverse health  effects that can result from the  ingesting solids this chemical is widely  classified as an endocrine disruptor  meaning it can prevent the endocrine  system from doing its job properly this  could result in lowered fertility in men  diabetes obesity breast cancer and  immunity issues number 4 quaternary  ammonium compounds quaternary ammonium  compounds are created via quatrain  ization meaning tertiary amines are  converted into quaternary ammonium salts  through alkylation these chemicals are  often used as disinfectants anti-static  agents and things like shampoo fabric  softeners and surfactants which lower  surface tension between two liquids  quaternary ammonium compounds are  thought to work by upsetting cell  membranes and are lethal to various  organisms except for endospores  non-enveloped viruses in the bacteria  that causes tuberculosis these chemicals  can cause a wide range of health issues  from skin and respiratory irritation to  corrosive burns of ones  gastrointestinal lining and skin they  can also cause gastrointestinal problems  like vomiting as well as convulsions  coma hypotension and termination plus  tests on lab mice indicate that  quaternary ammonium compounds could have  adverse reproductive effects number  three - Botox - all this substance is a  colorless liquid with a sweet odour that  is used in numerous industrial and  household products it has surfactant  properties and can be used as a solvent  for paints two of you Toxie ethanol is  often found in firefighting foam oil  spill dispersants degreasers whiteboard  cleaners liquid soaps dry cleaning  solutions latex paints in many other  everyday items this chemical is most  commonly ingested by humans through  inhalation  oral consumption or absorption through  the skin luckily toxicity is fairly low  in studies indicate that only through  long-term exposure to high  concentrations can 2-butoxyethanol  result in andreen all tumors and animals  it is cancer-causing in rodents but that  doesn't necessarily translate to people  so it isn't classified as a carcinogen  in the United States number two BPA  bisphenol A or BPA is a colourless solid  that is the basis for creating plastics  mainly epoxy resins and poly carbonates  plastics made with bpa are used in  various consumer products like water  bottles DVDs CDs thermal paper and  sports equipment  what makes BPA concerning is that it can  bind with both types of nuclear estrogen  receptors recent studies of the chemical  have found possible connections with BPA  exposure and health problems during  pregnancy and development plus likes all  lates BPA has endocrine disruptor  properties which caused the European  chemicals agency to list it as a  substance of very high concern in 2017  in 2012 the FDA banned the use of this  substance in the making of baby bottles  as well but banning the chemical  entirely is an ongoing debate number one  lead and electrical cords lead as most  of you probably know is an element of  the periodic table it is a heavy metal  and is denser than the majority of  average  Tyrael x' there's a good chance you've  also heard that lead is extremely  poisonous if swallowed or inhaled and  damages nearly every system in organ  within the human body  since lead interferes with proper enzyme  function it can cause extreme problems  with the kidneys and brain resulting in  certain demise let has the ability to  mimic calcium meaning it can cross the  semipermeable border that keeps the  brain and extracellular fluids of the  central nervous system separate from  circulating blood it has also been shown  to cause miscarriages in pregnant women  and to reduce male fertility because of  the severe health concerns associated  with lead precautions are taken to  prevent adverse situations an example of  this is the lead found within electrical  cords under California Proposition 65  all products that contain a chemical  with the potential to cause birth  defects cancer or reproductive harm have  to exhibit clear labels warning  consumers although not all products are  required to have a specific label  electrical wires are the warning must  state that handling the cord will expose  you to lead which is known to cause  cancer birth defects or other  reproductive harm using the word cancer  is the company's choice but it could  help them avoid liability currently only  California requires this products from  the same company being sold in other  states often won't have a warning label  were you aware of the dangerous everyday  products you have in your home let us  know in the comment section below