Did You Know?

• In 2005, 218,316 reported poison exposures came from household cleaning products

• Common household cleaners and appliances give off fumes, which can potentially increase the risk of asthma in children

• The EPA says that only a fraction of the more than 81,500 registered chemicals have gone through testing for human health concerns. 81,500 represents approximately one in every 750 known chemicals

• The EPA lists the following household cleaning products as ‘hazardous waste” – oven cleaners, drain cleaners, wood and metal cleaners and polishes, toilet cleaners, tub, tile and shower cleaners and bleach.

• The average US household generates more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste per year, and the average home can accumulate as much as 100 pounds of household hazardous waste in the basement and garage and in storage closets.

Because children drink more water, breathe more air, are more active than we are, and eat more food than adults, they also take in much higher concentrations of toxic chemicals. Our children’s growing and developing bodies are especially vulnerable to harm caused by toxic chemicals. Rates of certain diseases linked to environmental exposures in children are increasing at alarming rates. Here are some stats that may cause you to think really hard about the toxins we have in our homes.

• Cancer rates in children have increased 28% between 1975 and 1998.

• In the last 25 years the number of children who suffer from asthma has doubled to more than 8%

• Nearly 12 million children have one or more learning, developmental, or behavioral disabilities.

Is there anything you can do? ABSOLUTELY! GO GREEN – GET CLEAN