A Small Dose of Toxics At Home
An Introduction To The
Health Effects of Toxic
Products In The Home
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Home, Sweet Home!
Be it ever so humble, there
’s no place like home.
Home, Sweet Home!
John Howard Payne
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Toxics in the Home
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A Small Dose of Toxicology
Household products
Mold & mildew
Radon
Indoor air
Second hand smoke
Lead
Paint solvents
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Household Hazardous Waste
How many pounds of
household hazardous waste
in your home?
(i.e. paints, varnishes, motor oil,
pesticides, antifreeze, fluorescent
lights)
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Product Hazards
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Flammability
Reactivity
Corrosive (strong acid or base)
Toxicity: human
Toxicity: environmental
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A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Hazard and Risk
Dose / Response
Risk =
Hazard X Exposure
Individual Sensitivity
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Exposure Routes
 Ingestion
Direct ingestion of product
Hand to mouth contact
 Inhalation
Acute inhalation of product during use
Chronic inhalation of indoor air
 Skin/eye contact
Splashing/spilling during use
Violent chemical reactions
Contact with treated surfaces
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Poisoning Facts
Poisoning events in United States - 2000
 2.2 million reported exposures
 53% involved children under age 6
 90% occurred in the home
 475,079 treated in a health care facility
 920 deaths reported in 2000
Source: National Poison Centers, 2000 data (Litovitz, 2001)
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
More Poisoning Facts
Frequency by category
Incidents reported
0
50000 100000 150000 200000 250000
cleaners
personal care
plants
pesticides
animal bites
art, craft, office
paint products
automotive
mushrooms
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Even More Poisoning Facts
Moderate to serious outcomes
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
rust remover
drain (alkaline)
lighter fluid
ammonia
mineral spirits
all cleaners
herbicides
laundry granules
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Common Toxicity Measures
• LD50: acute ingestion (mg/kg)
• LC50: acute inhalation (ppm)
• Draize score: skin irritation
• TLV: chronic inhalation (ppm)
• Reference dose: chronic exposure
(mg/kg/day)
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Oral Toxicity of Common Substances
Practically non-toxic (> 15,000 mg/kg)
Probable oral lethal dose for 150 lb
adult > 1 quart
modeling clay
paraffin wax
baby lotion
blemish cover (e.g. Clearasil)
bone meal
cat litter
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Slightly toxic
Slightly toxic (5,000 to 15,000 mg/kg)
Probable oral lethal dose for 150 lb
adult: between 1 pt & 1 qt
hand dishwashing liquid
window cleaner
latex house paint
soap
deodorant (roll-on)
white glue (e.g. Elmers)
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Moderately toxic
Moderately toxic (500 to 5,000 mg/kg)
Probable oral lethal dose for 150 lb adult: between
1 oz & 1 pt
antifreeze
dry cleaning fluid* (1,1,1-trichloroethane)
motor fuels* (gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel)
shoe polish
oil-based house paint
holly berries
*NOTE: aspiration probably more important than toxicity
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Very toxic
Very toxic (50 to 500 mg/kg)
Probable oral lethal dose for 150 lb adult:
between 1 tsp & 1 oz
aspirin and other analgesics
lacquer thinners
toluene, xylene (aromatic hydrocarbons)
mothballs (camphor, naphthalene)
tobacco leaves
foxglove (digitalis)
caffeine
diazinon insecticide
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Extremely toxic
Extremely toxic (5 to 50 mg/kg)
Probable oral lethal dose for 150 lb
adult: 7 drops to 1 tsp
opium
codeine
oil of sassafras
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Super toxic
Super toxic (< 5 mg/kg)
Probable oral lethal dose for 150 lb
adult: less than 7 drops
nicotine
botulinum toxins
A Small Dose of Toxicology
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TLVs of Common Ingredients
COMPOUND
ethanol
acetone
isopropanol
gasoline
Methanol
turpentine
xylene
hexane
methylene chloride
paradichlorobenzene
carbon monoxide
malathion
TLV
1000
750
400
300
200
100
100
50
50
10
10
formaldehyde
chlorpyrifos
diazinon
0.30
0.014
0.008
TLV – Threshold Limit Value
A Small Dose of Toxicology
FOUND IN
vodka, gin, rum, etc.
nail polish remover
rubbing alcohol
motor fuel
Bix Stripper paint stripper
paint thinner
spray paint
Carter’s rubber cement
Bix Tuff Job paint stripper
mothballs
0.74
at %
40
>50
70
100
24-50
100
bulk
90
85
100
Ortho Malathion 50+ Insect Spray
Dursban Spray
Diazinon Granules
50
5.3
5.0
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Carcinogens
Ingredient
chlorothalonil
benzene
formaldehyde
lead acetate
methylene chloride
p-dichlorobenzene
vermiculite
arsenic
A Small Dose of Toxicology
Product(s)
% in Product
Daconil Fungicide
12.5-30%
gasoline
>1%
probably many
unknown
Grecian Formula hair dyes 0.36%
paint strippers (many)
up to 85%
mothballs (many)
100%
potting soils
?
CCA-treated lumber
34% As2O5
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Deducing Toxicity from
Label Information
• Stick with federally regulated
information
• Signal words only semi-consistent
• Ignore marketing information
• Be alert for inconsistencies
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Example
ADVERTISING
SIGNAL WORD
Signal Words
Signal Word EPA
CPSC
FDA
DANGER
Cat. I
Ex. Haz
not used
WARNING
Cat. II
Hazardous not used
CAUTION
Cat. III/IV
Hazardous “pay attention”
No sig. wordnot used
A Small Dose of Toxicology
Not Hazardous
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Shortcomings of Label Information
• All ingredients not listed (except food, drug,
cosmetic, personal care)
• Only pesticides have disposal and
environmental information (and the disposal
information is incorrect!)
• Signal words linked to acute hazards only
• Some labels contain marketing information
that minimizes or contradicts safety
warnings
• People don’t read labels anyway
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Favorite Labels
“Confine pets during application to
prevent them from believing they are
being fed.” - slug bait
“Avoid use while smoking.” - hair spray
“This product must not be used for
dyeing eyelashes or eyebrows. To do so
may cause blindness.” - hair color
A Small Dose of Toxicology
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Label Contradictions
“...contains no harsh chemicals which
could cause drying or damage...no
gloves, no caps, does not irritate your
skin” “You get rid of gray gradually,
naturally”
…………..but there’s more
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
The Rest of the Story
• Caution: contains lead acetate. [a
carcinogen]
• For external use only.
• Keep this product out of
children’s reach.
• Do not use on cut or abraded skin.
If skin irritation develops,
discontinue use.
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
And That’s Not All!
• Do not use to color mustaches,
eyelashes, eyebrows or hair on parts
of the body other than the scalp.
• Do not get in eyes. Follow
instructions carefully and wash hands
thoroughly after each use.”
—Grecian Formula hair dye
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Less-Toxic Alternatives
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Water-based products
Mechanical devices
Enzymes instead of solvents
Biological pesticides
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Less-Toxic Alternatives
Alternative
Latex paint
Snake, plunger
Scouring powder
Beneficial
nematodes
Weed puller,
mulch
A Small Dose of Toxicology
Instead of Using
Oil-based paint
Caustic drain opener
Acid toilet cleaner
Insecticide for
soil grubs
Herbicide
Toxic Ingredient Avoided
Solvents
Corrosive lye
Corrosive hydrochloric acid
Diazinon, carbaryl or other
insecticide
2,4-D, dichlobenil, etc.
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
A Small Dose of ™ Toxics At Home
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Resources from WTC
• Washington Toxics Coalition (WTC)
Home Safe Home consumer fact
sheets
• Toxics Hotline: 800-844-SAFE
• Internet: www.watoxics.org
Thanks to Philip Dickey from WTC for providing many of the
slides and information for the chapter.
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Additional Information
 Web Sites
•
U.S. Household Products Database – National
Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine.
<http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm>
Site has a range of information about
household products including their potential health
threats.
•
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Household
Waste Management.
<http://www.epa.gov/seahome/hwaste.html>
Site has a self-directed educational program
on managing household waste.
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11
Authorship Information
This presentation is supplement to
“A Small Dose of Toxicology”
For Additional Information Contact
Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT
E-mail: sgilbert@innd.org
Web: www.asmalldoseof.org
A Small Dose of Toxicology
A Small Dose of ToxicsAtHome – 12/10/11