I’m a catastrophic injury lawyer – here are three cancer-causing household products YOU should avoid

A catastrophic injury attorney has warned consumers about using a number of dangerous, cancer-causing products commonly found in homes.

Tom Bosworth, an attorney specializing in wrongful death cases, revealed that carcinogens are silently present in air fresheners, cleaning products and carpet shampoos.

Federal law requires companies to disclose all ingredients on food, cosmetics and drug labels, but cleaning products are exempt, leaving consumers in the dark about what toxins they may be inhaling.

When inhaled, these chemicals can damage the liver and nervous system and cause skin and lung cancer.

A 2023 study revealed that chemicals including formaldehyde, perchloroethylene, phenol and nitrobenzene were found in air fresheners, linking the sweet-smelling products to cancer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also warns people to be wary of companies labeling cleaning products and air fresheners as “green.”

This practice, known as ‘greenwashing’, can be misleading to consumers into thinking they are more environmentally friendly and less toxic than they actually are.

1. Air fresheners

Bosworth, who shared the advice in a TikTokexplained that air fresheners such as Glade plug-ins contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde – which can irritate the eyes, nose and throat if exposed to them for short periods.

However, longer exposure can lead to coughing or choking and can cause the throat to swell or cause chemical burns in the lungs, resulting in death.

The amount of VOC varies depending on the fragrance composition of the air freshener. For example, many products use alpha-pinene to mimic the natural, fresh scent of pine trees, which prevents the kidneys from functioning properly. New Jersey Department of Health.

MADE SAFEa product certification program, tested a range of air fresheners in 2020 and found numerous chemicals linked to toxic effects – and formaldehyde was measured at high levels.

Although air fresheners can release VOCs into the air through their direct emissions, they can also cause a secondary reaction with naturally occurring compounds in indoor air, such as ozone, which produce the carcinogenic formaldehyde.

“The regulations in this country about what you can put in cleaning products and certainly in air fresheners are pretty lenient,” said Ryan Sullivan, an associate professor of chemistry and mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. The Washington Post.

“To a chemist, ‘really clean’ wouldn’t actually be an odor, because the odor is caused by a chemical.”

‘Really clean means very low chemical content.’

Alternatively, the EPA recommends reducing the use of products with strong scents and considering using essential oils if you want to add fragrance to your space.

2. Carpet shampoos

Shampoos used to deep clean rugs or carpets “may contain dangerous chemicals such as perchloroethylene, a carcinogen that damages the liver, kidneys and nervous system,” Bosworth said.

The chemical is also known as tetrachloroethylene or tetrachloroethene, which is classified by the EPA as a probable carcinogen.

The agency reported that studies have found associations between people who were exposed to it in the workplace and later developed several types of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma and bladder cancer.

Although no conclusive link has been made to reproductive problems, the EPA warned that it could cause “menstrual disorders, altered sperm structure and reduced fertility.”

People should look for “green products” when choosing carpet shampoo, including those that are not scented.

A 2023 study found that 530 unique VOCs were emitted in 30 different products, including cleaning products, carpeting, cosmetics and pesticides – 193 of which were toxic.

The researchers found that “green products” – such as those that claim to be non-toxic and free of artificial fragrances – emit the lowest amounts of total and hazardous VOCs.

“These findings suggest ways that people can reduce their exposure to VOCs from cleaning products by using certified green products, especially those without fragrance,” Dr. Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist and lead author of the study, told me. Health.com.

3. Furniture polish

Some products used to clean wood or furniture “can cause skin and lung cancer and contain chemicals such as phenol and nitrobenzyne,” Bosworth warned in the TikTok video.

For people who work in the cleaning industry, repeated exposure to these chemicals can have serious health consequences.

A 2020 study found that cleaners exposed to these chemicals daily and for long hours have a 50 percent greater chance of developing asthma and a 43 percent risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – a chronic lung disease that darkens the airways, making it difficult to to breathe.

A special one study 2018 showed that inhaling cleaning products, such as furniture polish, can cause as much lung damage as smoking twenty packs of cigarettes a day.

The study was only conducted among women, so it is unclear whether men would experience the same effect.

It’s still important to remain wary of the ingredients in so-called green products, said Samara Geller, senior director of cleaning science at the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

She cautioned that just because a product is “green,” “eco-friendly” or “eco-friendly” does not necessarily mean it is safe because it is not regulated by the EPA.

“Essentially they are marketing terms,” Geller said EveryDayHealth. “Many so-called ‘natural’ products still contain dangerous chemicals and unknown ingredients.”

Instead, people could take the DIY approach and make their own cleaning products that have the added benefit of costing a fraction of what they would cost at the store.

Geller recommended mixing baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar, which works the same as everyday cleaning products, without the worry of added carcinogens.