🏠 The Household Toxics Tour
Toxic Substances that are common in our homes that can make us sick
Added and Adapted from:
Gary A. Davis and Em Turner
University of Tennessee - Knoxville Waste Management Institute
⚠️ The Problem
🏠 Tour Your Home by Room
🍳 In the Kitchen
⚠️ Aluminum Cookware
Health Risk: Foods cooked in aluminum pots can react with the metal to form aluminum salts associated with impaired visual motor coordination and Alzheimer's disease.
❌ What NOT to Do:
- • Don't store food in aluminum containers
- • Never cook acidic foods (tomato sauce, lemon juice, wine) in aluminum
- • Don't use pitted or worn aluminum cookware
✅ Better Alternative:
Anodized Aluminum: Treated with aluminum oxide coating that's non-reactive and prevents leaching. Commercial Aluminum Company claims their final anodization stage seals the aluminum completely.
⚠️ Teflon & Non-Stick Cookware
Serious Health Concerns:
- • DuPont studies show Teflon releases toxic particles at 446°F
- • At 680°F, releases at least 6 toxic gases (including 2 carcinogens)
- • Can cause "polymer fume fever" in humans
- • PFOA chemical found in 99% of newborn umbilical cord blood
⚠️ Safety Precautions
- • Never overheat Teflon cookware
- • Only cook at low temperatures
- • Never leave empty pans on burners
- • Don't use around birds (toxic fumes kill birds quickly)
🚨 Self-Cleaning Ovens
Self-cleaning ovens are lined with PTFE (Teflon) and reach 900°F during cleaning, emitting gases that kill birds quickly. Never run self-cleaning cycle with birds present.
🍯 Enameled Cookware
Older enamel cookware may contain cadmium in red, yellow, and orange pigments (mostly foreign manufacturers).
✅ Modern enamelware is generally safe
⚠️ Be cautious with imported glazed ceramics
🪨 Granite Countertops
Radiation Risk: Some granite countertops (especially exotic varieties from Brazil and Namibia) may emit dangerous levels of radon and radiation.
Source: EPA reports, New York Times July 24, 2008
🥤 Plastic & Food Storage
❌ Never Do:
- • Microwave non-microwave-safe plastics
- • Heat food in non-food containers
- • Use styrofoam for hot drinks/soups
- • Store hot food in plastic containers
✅ Safe Practices:
- • Look for "microwave-safe" labels
- • Let food cool before plastic storage
- • Choose cookware with cool-stay handles
- • Refrigerate immediately after cooling
🧽 Toxic Cleaning Products
Common kitchen cleaners contain dangerous chemicals: all-purpose cleaners, ammonia-based cleaners, bleach, metal polishes, dishwater detergent, disinfectants, drain cleaners, floor wax, glass cleaners, oven cleaners, and scouring powders.
🌿 Solution: Learn to make safe cleaning products yourself
🧺 In the Utility Closet
⚠️ Common Toxic Products
All of these products usually contain irritant or toxic substances.
🛋️ In the Living Room and Bedroom
⚠️ Scotchguard & Stain Repellants
Scotchguard breaks down into PFOS, which combines "persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity properties to an extraordinary degree."
- EPA internal memorandum, May 16, 2000
Stain repellants, new carpets, furniture, and dryer sheets continue releasing toxic fumes for months after application.
👕 Wrinkle-Resistant Fabrics
Formaldehyde Alert: "Wrinkle-resistant" fabrics are treated with formaldehyde resin.
• No-iron sheets and bedding
• Curtains and sleep wear
• "Permanent press" items
• Polyester/cotton blends
🪑 Modern Furniture
Pressed Wood Products in modern furniture emit formaldehyde and other chemicals into your home environment.
🕯️ Incense & Air Fresheners
Incense contains: charcoal, starch, karaya gum, clay, aromatic chemicals and essential oils - all potentially toxic to birds and sensitive individuals.
🌿 Better Alternative: Use organic essential oils in a nebulizer, placed away from pets. Far better than commercial deodorizers.
🏠 Toxic Carpeting
New carpets continue to release toxic fumes into the environment for months after installation.
🛁 In the Bath
🧴 Cosmetics & Personal Hygiene Products
Numerous cosmetics and personal hygiene products contain hazardous substances that can affect your health.
🌿 For Safe Alternatives: Non-toxic Personal Care Products Guide
🎨 In the Studio or Hobby Room
Although legislation now controls many dangerous ingredients in hobby materials, exposure to certain art materials remains a health risk.
⚠️ Dangerous Chemicals & Metals Include:
Heavy Metals
- • Lead in ceramic glazes, stained-glass materials, pigments
- • Cadmium in silver solders, pigments, ceramic glazes
- • Chromium in paint pigments, ceramic colors
- • Manganese dioxide in ceramic colors, brown oil/acrylic paints
- • Cobalt in blue oil and acrylic paints
Chemical Solvents
- • Formaldehyde in acrylic paints, photo products
- • Aromatic hydrocarbons in paint removers, aerosols
- • Chlorinated hydrocarbons in inks, varnish, rubber cement
- • Petroleum distillates in paint thinners, adhesives
- • Glycol ethers in photography, lacquer thinners
🚗 In the Garage
⚠️ Dangerous Substances Frequently Present:
🌱 In the Garden Shed
☠️ Pesticides: Most Important Single Hazard
Scale of the Problem:
- • ~1,400 pesticides, herbicides, fungicides
- • Present in 34,000+ product formulations
- • Combined with other toxic solvents
🌿 For non-toxic pest control solutions: Visit our safe pesticides guide
🏡 On the Patio
🔥 Charcoal Lighter Fluid
Contains petroleum distillates - flammable, imparts chemical taste to food, and some contain benzene (known human carcinogen).
🕯️ Citronella Oil
Volatile oil composition: ~30% citronellal and 40% geraniol
Fumes are potentially toxic to birds. Often combined with other essential oils in air fresheners