Laundry Detergent Ingredient Sodium Hypochlorite (Household Bleach)

Description/Uses

Health Affects for your family

Remove colour, whiten or disinfect. Chlorine bleach is a registered pesticide extremely toxic.

EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid )

Reduces mineral hardness in water, a foaming stabilizer.

Phthalates and Artificial Fragrances Fragrance. That freshly washed smell. Many of these are made from petroleum.

Ammonia

Grease remover. Used to remove dirt and stains from fabric without excessive rubbing. Filler in powdered products. The sodium salt of sulfuric acid. 'anionic surfactants' detergent, wetting agent, foaming agent. Synthetic petrochemicals. Benzene is a natural constituent of crude oil, synthesized from other compounds present in petroleum. A petrochemical surfactant that is believed to be in many

Sodium Sulfate

Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonates (LAS)

Can cause reproductive, endocrine and immune system disorders CAUSTIC irritation or burns Can generate hazardous fumes that are CARCINOGENIC, and can even cause DEATH Involved in more household POISONINGS than any other chemical CYTOTOXIC and weakly GENOTOXIC in laboratory animals Can cause reproductive and developmental effects Can redissolve toxic heavy metals in the environment, allowing them to reintroduce into the food chain Not degraded or removed during conventional wastewater treatment Linked to CANCER Reproductive-system harm in animal lab tests May trigger ASTHMA and allergic reactions Allergies, skin, eye and respiratory irritation Headaches and watery eyes Toxic to fish and mammals Do not easily bio-degrade Burns, cataracts & corneal damage Long term repeated exposure can cause bronchitis and pneumonia Toxic to plants, animals, fish CAUSTIC and hazardous CORROSIVE Severe eye, skin, and respiratory irritant Can cause ASTHMA attacks Low levels may cause drowsiness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. During their production process, CARCINOGENIC and reproductive toxins such as benzene are released into the environment. Biodegrade slowly Exposure to NPE metabolites causes organisms to develop both male and female sex organs;

Nonylphenol Ethoxylate (NPE)

Australian laundry detergents. This chemical has been banned in the European Union and Canada in detergents. Petroleum distillates (aka napthas) Phenols (or carbolic acid) ?? purpose in detergent?? petrochemical derived from synthetic crude oil. Surfactant, binds to oily particles. Extracted from coal tar or petroleum. Used in herbicides, paint strippers, as an oral anesthetic/analgesic, pharmaceutical drugs, production of epoxy resins, nylon and plastics.

increases mortality and damage to the liver and kidney; decreases testicular growth and sperm counts in male fish; and disrupts normal male to female sex-ratios, metabolism, development, growth, and reproduction. Linked to CANCER Lung damage, lung inflammation Damage to mucous membranes. TOXIC, causes burns CORROSIVE to the eyes, the skin, and the respiratory tract May cause DERMATITIS (contact) People who are hypersensitive to it could experience DEATH or serious side effects at very low exposures. Rapidly absorbed and can cause toxicity throughout the entire body. Potentially, death and severe toxicity may result from phenol's effects on the central nervous system, heart, blood vessels, lungs and kidneys. May cause allergic reactions in humans when exposed to skin that is later exposed to sunlight. Toxic to fish. Causes bacterial mutations.

Optical Brighteners (di- and tetrasulfonated triazolestilbenes and a di-sulfonated stilbenebiphenyl)

Whitener. Dyes that absorb and reflect light. Synthetic chemicals that convert UV light to "trick" the eye into seeing a brighter shade. (does not actually affect the cleanliness of the clothing).