Dangerous Household Cleaners

Amanda Dybal
Staff Writer

           Many everyday chemicals and household items can be are harmful when they are near or are combined with other chemicals, gases, or water. Some examples of these are batteries, laundry detergent, paint, air fresheners, insect repellents, etc. In Amarillo, Texas, four children died due to a toxic gas reaction. This reaction occurred when a previously applied pesticide, aluminum phosphide, was mixed with water that made a toxic phosphine gas. “There were 10 people inside the mobile home at the time. Crews arrived at the scene just after 5 a.m. after receiving a call that something was wrong and that people at the address were sick,” John Newsome and Shawn Nottingham say. The four children that passed away were between seven and seventeen years old. The substance aluminum phosphide is used to kill insects and rodents and is listed in the Toxicity Category 1 by the EPA; Toxicity Category 1 is the most toxic category. Aluminum Phosphide is only one of the chemicals found around houses that can harm humans. 

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          Some of the top harming chemicals that many people might not know about are air fresheners, bleach, and oven cleaners. These chemicals can be found in every organ of your body after twenty six seconds of exposure. One of the chemicals in air fresheners, phenol, can cause a burning sensation when it touches the skin, or it can cause the skin to swell, peel, or break out into hives. Air fresheners can strongly irritate the eyes, skin, and throat, along with brain damage or cancer in the lungs. Likewise, oven cleaners can get onto your food and damage tissue if swallowed. Bleach is a strongly corrosive and can irritate the respiratory track; the vapor can cause fluid in the lungs which can lead to a coma or death. In conclusion, many chemicals known to man and found in typical American household are highly dangerous if the vapor is breathed in or the chemical touches the skin. Many people are unaware of the everyday dangers to which they are exposed to.