Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Massachusetts Pursues Regulating Toxic Cleaning Products
The Alliance For A Healthy Tomorrow, a Massachusetts coalition of over 150 organizations, including health professionals and labor unions, is working to pass legislation calling for alternatives to toxic cleaning products. The Alliance released a report in 2007 that targets common household cleaners for a variety of health problems. The study, titled Household Hazards, presents mounting evidence that exposure to chemicals in cleaning products is linked with health problems in people, particularly asthma and reproductive harm.
This study led to the Safer Cleaning Products Act, H-2246 or S-2204, in the Massachusetts Legislature, requiring safer cleaning products in schools, day care centers, hospitals, and other public facilities throughout Massachusetts. The act is still being considered in committee in 2008.
The report examines ingredients in household cleaners that could cause harm – particularly to children, women and janitorial workers – and calls for greater regulation of cleaning products.
"High asthma rates in Massachusetts affect our children's health and learning. Hazardous cleaning products in our homes, schools and day care centers are making a bad problem worse," aid Jean Zotter, director of the Boston Urban Asthma Coalition. "While parents should opt for safer cleaning products in their homes, the state should mandate that all public buildings use safer cleaning products as one way to protect children's health," she said.
"Household Hazards is a review of information from over 100 scientific studies and reports about hazardous chemicals in cleaning products and specifically discusses 5 common hazardous ingredients: monoethanolamine (MEA), ammonium quaternary compounds, glycol ethers, alkyl phenol ethoxylates and phthalates. The report found that exposure to toxins in cleaning products is pervasive throughout homes in the United States and that children are especially vulnerable to the chemicals' harmful effects. Infants' exposure can be particularly high because they crawl on the ground and put their hands in their mouths, ingesting chemicals from floor and carpet finishes and cleaners. Frequent use of hazardous cleaning chemicals is associated with persistent wheezing among pre-school children, and increases the likelihood of asthma attacks among children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8.5% of school-age children in Massachusetts have asthma.
The report states that women are also more highly exposed than men, since they do, on average, over 70% of the housework. The report also points to several studies that reveal a higher incidence of asthma in populations who have high exposure to certain cleaning chemicals, such as janitorial workers." (Household Hazards Report quote)
Since janitorial staff use cleaning products, the Vida Verde Cooperative in Boston is working to protect immigrant women working as household cleaners from exposure to toxic chemicals. "This cooperative is about changing habits and raising awareness about how all of us are responsible for doing something to leave future generations with a planet that is sustainable," said Vida Verde's Monica Chianelli. "We also are broadening the professional horizons of women who are so often exploited," she said. Vida Verde is a project of the Brazilian Women's Group, a 12 year-old Boston-based grassroots organization that advocates for immigrant rights and promotes social change.
The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow worked with sponsors Representative Frank Smizik (D-Brookline) and Senator Dianne Wilkerson (D-Boston) to introduce the Safer Cleaning Products Act, which requires that only cleaning products approved by the Department of Public Health be used in public schools, hospitals, health care facilities, day care centers and public housing common spaces. Health care advocates say they feel that replacing toxic household cleaners with safer alternatives, particularly in public schools, might help reduce asthma attacks and protect the public's health.
When you are interviewing personal injury attorneys ask critical questions, like: how long have you been practicing; what is the largest settlement or verdict you've obtained, and do you have experience with injuries involving children? The Kiley Law Group, located in Andover and Boston, Massachusetts takes time when speaking with you about your case and works with you on a contingent basis so there are NO FEES unless our trained Massachusetts product liability lawyers wins your case. Call now for a FREE evaluation of your case – 1-888-208-1695.
