Are hazardous chemicals from household products more dangerous than outdoor pollutants?
A. Because indoor pollutants are not as easily dispersed or diluted as outdoor pollutants, concentrations of toxic chemicals may be much greater indoors than outdoors. Peak concentrations of twenty toxic compounds -some linked with cancer and birth defects – were 200 to 500 times higher inside some homes than outdoors, according to an Environmental Protection Agency Study. Not surprisingly, EPA experts say that indoor air pollution is one of the nation’s most pressing personal health concerns. Q. Have products been pulled from the market because of their chemical hazards? A. In the last few years consumers have discovered that some of the chemicals in household products whose safety was taken for granted are hazardous. For instance, methylene chloride (also known as dichloromethane), the propellant used in many aerosol products, is carcinogenic. Although some products containing methylene chloride have been pulled from the market, this carcinogen continues to be found in many consumer
