By David Zielski
Vice President
Seaside Naturals
My thirteen-year-old daughter recently called me up to say she had cleaned the whole kitchen and
bathroom herself. So many emotions ran through me at that moment. First, I was shocked by the
fact that no one asked her to do so. I was also happy that she had done this but anxious at the
same time because this was a Thursday afternoon and knowing that during the next 24 hours
would come my payback, a ride home from a party or a couple of her friends sleeping over for the
weekend. But the one thing I was not feeling was worried that my little girl was exposed to toxic
chemicals that most of us use in our homes. Two years ago we made the switch to all natural non-
toxic cleaning products.
Up until a few years ago, most household and commercially purchased cleaning products were
"petro-chemically" derived or "synthetic". These types of products are literally made from crude
petroleum oil. As our use of these cleaners in our homes, schools, and workplaces has grown
over the last 60 years, the incidence of diseases like cancer and asthma has grown dramatically
as well, and many experts see a clear connection between the two. It’s a picture vividly painted by
the numbers: From 1973 to 1998, the overall incidence of cancer increased by almost 25%. In the
last 20 years, asthma rates have skyrocketed almost 50%. Americans now spend billions every
year to deal with allergic diseases including a brand new one called multiple chemical sensitivity
whose symptom is currently reported by 15-30% of the U.S. population.
Children are more vulnerable to environmentally caused diseases than adults. This is because
children are of course smaller, and their systems are still developing. A child's ability to flush out
environmental toxins is not developed until they are around seven years old so they absorb and
retain more toxins than adults. For example, children absorb about 50% of the lead they are
exposed to, while adults absorb only 10-15%.
Here are some shocking facts compiled by the City of Boulder, Colorado:
· Indoor air is often two to five times more contaminated than outdoor air.
· Childhood asthma has nearly doubled in the last 20 years (American Lung Assoc.) and some
cleaners may be triggers to asthma attacks.
· The average home contains 25 gallons of hazardous chemicals – a major portion of these
can be found in household cleaning products.
· In 1999, 92% of all poisonings occurred in the home.
· Cleaning products are involved in 11% of poisoning exposure in children less than 6 years of
age.
· 70,000 synthetic chemicals are in production today. Many are suspected to cause cancer or
other health effects, but only 600 have been adequately tested.
Many people who are exposed to a variety of petrochemicals in our environment do not reach acute
toxic exposure, which leads to cancer or death. However, they may experience an array of subtle
symptoms, including headaches, rashes, or breathing difficulties, which, while less dramatic, can
be extremely debilitating. These effects are even more devastating in young children.
Compounding this problem is the difficulty of isolating which chemicals present in homes,
schools, offices or even cars is causing the problem.
The manufacturers of the traditional cleaning products are protected by trade secret labeling laws,
which do not require them to list all ingredients. Although chemical information is required by law
on products used in the workplace, this toxic information is not currently required on the products
we use daily in our homes. Kathy Cooper, Sr. Environmental Law Researcher states: “Most
consumers assume that if it’s on the store shelf, it has been tested and it is safe. That is far from
the truth. The Government and manufacturers are currently under no obligation to tell us about
long-term toxicity of common household cleaners”. Children’s developing bodies are more
vulnerable to toxins than those of adults, says Susan JunFish, who used to work for the
Environmental Protection Agency. And they’re more likely to get toxins into their bodies. Their
hands are on everything and then go in their mouths—an average of ten times an hour, according
to one study.
These toxic cleaning products are slowly gaining attention, not only by environmentalist groups but
on a City and State level as well. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the city of Seattle have
taken the first step towards recognizing the importance’s of Environmentally preferable cleaning
products and has awarded contracts to companies that meet certain criteria. These products will
have less of an impact on the environment than their traditional counterparts because they are
generally less toxic and contain lower concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone
depleting chemicals (ODCs), and carcinogens. Environmentally preferable cleaning products
must also be offered in recycled-content, recyclable and/or reduced packaging.
Our children are what we live for. We go to great lengths to shelter and protect them from all that is
bad in the world. Why subject them to harsh toxic chemicals when there are alternatives available
that are both safe and effective. By switching to all natural non toxic cleaners, you will not only be
helping your children, you will be helping yourself, your pets and the precious environment we
inhabit.
About the Author
David Zielski started Seaside Naturals with his wife Linda. Seaside Naturals, a leading
manufacturer of all natural first aid kits and natural cleaning and personal care products, provides
all natural living solutions for health-conscious people. Seaside Naturals markets and distributes
through natural food stores, supermarkets, on-line and in mail-order catalogs in the United States.
For more information, visit www.seasidenaturals.com.
