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Article: Household Hazardous Products

Household Hazardous Products

Prepared by: Wilma Hammet
Housing Specialist
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Most hazardous household products can be grouped into four major categories:

  • Automotive products which are hazardous include motor oil, brake and transmission fluid, antifreeze and car batteries, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, and car wax with solvent.
  • Household cleaners include drain cleaners, oven clean- ers, toilet cleaners, spot removers, silver polishes, furniture polishes, cleansers and powdered cleaners, window cleaners, bleach, liquid cleaners, dyes.
  • Paints and solvents include latex, oil-based, auto and model paint, paint stripper, primer, rust remover, turpentine, varnish, wood preservative, mineral spirits, glues.
  • Pesticides

Other hazardous products include: aerosol products, dry cell and disc or button batteries, hearing aid batteries, moth balls and flakes, shoe polish, photographic chemicals, smoke detectors and air fresheners and deodorizers.

Let's take a closer look at hazardous ingredients and their effects on people:

Air fresheners and Deodorizers

Formaldehyde is toxic; carcinogen; irritant to eyes, nose, throat and skin; may cause nausea, headaches, nose bleeds, dizziness, memory loss, and shortness of breath.

Antifreeze

Ethylene glycol is very toxic; 3 ounces can be fatal to adult; damage to cardiovascular system, blood, skin and kidneys.

Ammonia

Vapor irritating to eyes, respiratory tract and skin; possible chronic irritation.

Alcohols

Volatile and flammable; eye, nose and throat irritation.

Benzene

Flammable; carcinogen; accurnulates in fat, bone narrow, liver tissues.

Bleach

Sodium hypochlorite is corrosive; irritates or burns skin, eyes, respiratory tract; may cause pulmonary edema or vomiting and coma if ingested; contact with other chemicals may cause chlorine fumes.

Car Wax, Polish

Petroleum distillates are associated with skin and lung cancer; irritant to skin, eyes, nose, lungs; entry into lungs may cause fatal pulmonary edema.

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Chlordane and other hydrocarbons

Very slow biodegradation; accumulates in food chain; may damage eyes, lungs, liver, kidneys and skin

Chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons

Flammable; toxicity varies with specific chemical; may cause respiratory ailments.

Chlorinated phenols

Flammable; very toxic; respiratory, circulatory or cardiac damage.

Disinfectants

Sodium hypochlorite is corrosive; irritates or burns skin, eyes; may cause pulmonary edema. or vomiting and coma if ingested.

Drain Cleaner

Sodium or potassium hydroxide (Iye) is caustic; irritant; inhibits reflexes; burns to skin, poisonous if swallowed due to severe tissue damage.

Dichlorophene

Skin irritation; may damage liver, kidney, spleen and central nervous system.

Esters

Toxicity varies with specific chemical; causes eye, nose and throat irritation and anesthesia.

Flea Powder

Carbarylis very toxic; interferes with human nervous system; may cause skin, respiratory system, cardiovascular system damage.

Floor Cleaner/Wax

Diethylene Glycol is toxic, causes central nervous system depression and kidney, liver lesions.

Furniture Polish

Petroleum distillates or Mineral spirits are highly flammable, moderately toxic, associated with skin and lung cancer, irritant to skin, eyes, nose, throat, lungs, entry into lungs may cause pulmonary edema.

Hydrochloric acid

Corrosive, irritant; damage to kidney, liver and digestive system.

Ketones

Flammable; skin irritant; benzene is a carcinogen; possible liver and kidney damage.

Lead

Damage to digestive, genitourinary, neuro-muscular and central nervous system; anemia and brain damage.

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Methanol

Moderately toxic; ingestion may cause coma. respiratory damage.

Mineral spirits

Highly flammable; skin, eye, nose, throat, lung irritant; very high air concentrations may cause unconsciousness, death.

Motor Oil/Gasoline

Petroleum hydrocarbons (benzene) is highly flammable; associated with skin and lung cancer; irritant to skin, eyes, nose, throat, lungs; pulmonary edema; benzene is a carcinogen.

Oven Cleaner

Sodium or potassium hydroxide (Iye) is caustic; irritant, inhibits reflexes; burns to skin, eyes; poisonous if swallowed due to severe tissue damage.

Paint Thinner

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons slow decomposition; cause liver and kidney damage.

Paints

Aromatic hydrocarbon thinners are flammable; skin irritant; benzene is a carcinogen; possible liver and kidney damage.

Phenols

Flammable; very toxic; respiratory, circulatory or cardiac damage.

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Petroleum Solvents

Highly flammable; associated with skin and lung cancer, irritant to skin, eyes, nose, throat, lungs.

Spot Removers

Perchlorethylene or trichloromethane cause liver and kidney damage; perchlorethylene is a suspected carcinogen. Ammonium hydroxide is corrosive; vapor extremely irritable to skin, eyes and respiratory passages; ingestion causes tissue burns.

Sodium hypochlorite

Corrosive, irritates skin, eyes, respiratory tract; may cause pulmonary edema and skin burns.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Sodium acid sulfate, oxalate or hypochloric acid are corrosive; burns from skin contact or inhalation; ingestion may be fatal.

Trichloromethane

Irritant to nose and eyes; central nervous system depression, liver and kidney damage if ingested

Window Cleaners

Diethylene glycol is Toxic; causes central nervous system depression and degenerative lesions in liver and kidneys.

Wood Stain/Varnish

Mineral spirits, gasoline are highly flammable; associated with skin and lung cancer; irritant to skin, eyes, nose, throat, lungs; entry into lungs may cause fatal pulmonary edema.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

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