Cleaners, Toxins and the Ecosystem

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Cleaners, Toxins and the Ecosystem

• Making a difference in the workplace and the
  environment

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Presented by

• the
• Labour
• Environmental
• Alliance
• Society

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Cleaners, Toxinsand the Ecosystem

• It was cleaning products in fish plants that
  prompted this innovative project.
• Cleaning chemicals were affecting workers health
  and could potentially affect the marine
  environment where they discharged

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The premise of the project

• If it affects your health, it also affects the
  environment
• By linking the two, its possible to make changes
  in both areas

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Millions of litres of cleaning products used
every day

• Enormous volumes of cleaning products are used
  every day, in households and in the workplace,
  including public institutions
• Workers face potentially high exposure in
  commercial use

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Clean can also mean toxic

• Toxic ingredients that can be found in cleaning
  products
• Carcinogenic chemicals
• Endocrine-disrupting chemicals
• Toxins that can cause liver, kidney, respiratory,
  skin, nervous system or reproductive damage
• Sensitizers that can trigger serious allergic
  reactions after initial exposure

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with a range of potential health effects

• Potential Health Effects of Toxins
• May be carcinogenic cancer-causing
• May cause reproductive damage
• May cause variety of acute symptoms, including
  rashes, dizziness, on initial exposure,
• May cause damage to skin, respiratory system,
  kidneys, other organs after long-term exposure

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and environmental effects

• Potential Environmental Effects
• Carcinogens and reproductive toxins also affect
  marine and aquatic organisms
• Endocrine-disrupting chemicals often more toxic
  in environment they are persistent and
  bio-accumulate up the food chain
• Toxic chemicals can combine with other
  substances to create additional toxins eg.
  organochlorines

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Problem is in the chemistry

• The huge increase in the number of chemicals in
  use has led to a corresponding growth in the
  incidence of occupational and environmental
  cancers and other problems

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Carcinogens the most toxic

• Carcinogens substances known to cause cancer
  are the most toxic ingredients in cleaning
  products
• Among them are methylene chloride and
  perchloroethylene
• See Carcinogens for more

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Eliminating carcinogenic products a first step

• Eliminating carcinogenic chemicals from the
  workplace is the most effective means of cancer
  prevention. Its also the best means of
  pollution prevention at source.
• In most cases, workers have the right to replace
  carcinogenic products, where substitutes are
  available

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Endocrine-disrupters pose health, environment risk

• Many cleaners also contain endocrine-disrupting
  chemicals (EDCs), which many scientists consider
  a health and environmental time bomb, affecting
  future generations as well as our own
• See Hormone-Disrupters for more

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and that risk could be grave

• The 1996 book Our Stolen Future warned about
  EDCs
• Because hormone disrupting chemicals act broadly
  and insidiously to sabotage fertility and
  development, they can jeopardise the survival of
  entire species perhaps in the long run even
  humans

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How EDCs do damage

• EDCs can mimic the effect of hormones produced by
  our bodies or disrupt the action of those
  hormones, causing reproductive problems or
  abnormalities in growth and development
• Effects can be even more serious in the
  environment because EDCs do not break down and
  can bio-accumulate up the food chain

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Cleaning products without EDCs an important goal

• EDCs are frequently found in cleaning products
• Among them are ethoxylated nonyl phenols and
  dibutyl phthalate
• Substitution of these products should be a goal,
  in accordance with the precautionary principle

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The precautionary principle

• The precautionary principle requires authorities
  to take preventive action when there is a risk of
  severe and irreversible damage. Action is
  required, even in the absence of certainty about
  possible ensuing damage and without waiting for
  full scientific proof of the cause-effect
  relationship. When disagreement exists about the
  need to take action, the burden of proof must be
  reversed and placed on those who contend the
  activity will not have an impact.
• The National Round Table on the Environment and
  the Economy, 1998

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And there are other toxins

• Other toxins can cause damage to the liver,
  kidneys, respiratory tract, central nervous and
  reproductive systems
• Many of them are found in cleaning products,
  including 2-butoxyethanol, toluene, methyl ethyl
  ketone, monoethanolamine and xylene

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Glycol ethers may be the culprit in new health
risk

• Glycol ethers, such as 2-butoxyethanol, already
  known to cause kidney and liver damage, have
  recently been linked to low sperm counts in men
  using them regularly
• The study was conducted by University of Alberta
  scientist Dr. Nicola Cherry

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The toxic route to the environment

• Some ingredients are more toxic once discharged
  into the environment
• Chlorine, used in the manufacture of bleach, for
  example, can bind with organic material to form
  toxic organochlorines

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Acting on the health and environmental link

• Human health and the environment are clearly
  linked
• Action taken to protect health by eliminating
  toxins in the workplace will also have a positive
  impact on environment

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Helping OHS committees with the research tools

• The Labour Environmental Alliance Society works
  with workplace health and safety (OHS)
  committees to review cleaning products used and
  to identify toxic ingredients

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backed by the WCB Regulation Section 5.57

• Workers in B.C. have an effective tool in Section
  5.57 of the WCB Regulation that requires
  substitution of carcinogens, reproductive toxins
  and sensitizers

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Research and cooperation can also bring changes

• Beyond the Regulation, LEAS and OHS committee
  research, combined with co-operative work with
  suppliers and employers, can result in
  substitution of toxic ingredient, including EDCs
• Non-toxic products that do the job just as well
  can be found and alternative product lists are
  being developed

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Once underway, the project can be self-monitoring

• Once the initial phase if completed, the project
  is self-monitoring.
• OHS committees review Material Data Safety
  Sheets of all prospective new cleaning products
  before theyre ordered

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A dynamic process that can bring positive change

• The project creates a dynamic process of change
• Environmental research leads to workplace action,
  which results in a tangible health and
  environmental benefits namely a reduction in
  toxins

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and generate additional benefits in the community

• Additional project benefits
• Increases demand for green cleaning products,
  putting pressure on suppliers and manufacturers
  to make them more available
• Educates workers about consumer cleaning product
  ingredients
• Raises awareness of consumer product labelling
  issues