I'm a catastrophic injury lawyer - here are three cancer-causing household products YOU should avoid
A catastrophic injury lawyer has warned consumers against using three cancer-causing products that are commonly found in homes.
Tom Bosworth, a lawyer specializing in wrongful death cases, revealed that carcinogens silently reside 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 might be breathing in.
When breathed in, these chemicals can damage the liver and nervous system and can cause skin and lung cancer.
Carcinogens silently reside in air fresheners, cleaning products and carpet shampoos
Bosworth, 33, has his own practice in Pennsylvania where he is known for becoming the youngest lawyer in the state's history to obtain a jury verdict in excess of $10 million for a living client as lead counsel.
1. Air Fresheners
The attorney, who shared the advice in a TikTok, explained that air fresheners like Glade plug-ins contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that include formaldehyde - which can irritate the eyes, nose and throat when exposed to it over 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, leading to death.
The amount of VOCs varies depending on the air freshener's fragrance composition. For example, many products use alpha-pinene to replicate pine trees' natural, fresh smell which causes the kidneys to malfunction, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
Air fresheners like Glade plug-ins contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that include formaldehyde - which can irritate the eyes, nose and throat when exposed to it over short periods
MADE SAFE, a product certification program, tested tested a range of air fresheners in 2020 and found numerous chemicals associated with toxic effects - and formaldehyde been measured at high levels.
Although air fresheners can introduce VOCs in the air through their direct emissions, they can also cause a secondary reaction with naturally occurring indoor air compounds like the ozone, which produces the carcinogen formaldehyde.
'The regulations in this country around what you can put in cleaning products and certainly in air fresheners are pretty loose,' Ryan Sullivan, an associate professor of chemistry and mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University told The Washington Post.
'To a chemist 'really clean' would actually be no scent because the scent is caused by a chemical.'
'Truly clean means very low levels of chemicals.'
As an alternative, the EPA recommends reducing the use of products that have a strong fragrance and consider using essential oils if you want to add a scent to your space.
Shampoos used to deep-clean rugs or carpets 'can contain dangerous chemicals like perchloroethylene, which is a carcinogen that damages the liver, kidneys and nervous system,' Bosworth said
2. Carpet shampoos
Shampoos used to deep-clean rugs or carpets 'can contain dangerous chemicals like perchloroethylene, which is a carcinogen that damages the liver, kidneys and nervous system,' Bosworth said.
The chemical is also known as tetrachloroethylene or tetrachloroethene, which the EPA has classified as a likely 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 cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma and bladder cancer.
Although it has not been conclusively linked to reproductive issues, the EPA warned that it could cause 'menstrual disorders, altered sperm structure, and reduced fertility.'
People should look for 'green products' when selecting carpet shampoo, including those that aren't fragrant.
A 2023 study found there were 530 unique VOCs emitted in 30 different products including cleaning supplies, carpeting, cosmetics and pesticides - 193 of which were toxic.
The researchers found that 'green products' - like those that state they're non-toxic and free from artificial fragrances - emitted the lowest amount of total and hazardous VOCs.
'These findings suggest ways that people can reduce their VOC exposure from cleaning products, by using certified green products, especially those without fragrance,' Dr Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist and the study's lead author told Health.com.
A 2020 study found that cleaners, who are exposed to these chemicals daily and for hours on end have a 50 percent increased chance of developing asthma and a 43 percent risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - a chronic lung disease that obscures the air passageways, making it difficult to breathe
3. Furniture polish
Some products that are used to clean wood or furniture 'can cause skin and lung cancer and contain chemicals such as phenol and nitro benzyne,' Bosworth warned in the TikTok video.
For people working in the cleaning industry, repeated exposure to these chemicals could seriously impact your health.
A 2020 study found that cleaners, who are exposed to these chemicals daily and for hours on end have a 50 percent increased chance of developing asthma and a 43 percent risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - a chronic lung disease that obscures the air passageways, making it difficult to breathe.
A separate study in 2018 found that inhaling cleaning products, like furniture polish, could cause as much lung damage as smoking a 20-pack of cigarettes a day.
The study was only conducted among women, so it's unclear if men would experience the same effect.
It is still important to remain wary of what ingredients the so-called green products contain, according to Samara Geller, the senior director of cleaning science at the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
She warned that just because a product says 'green,' 'eco-safe,' or 'environmentally friendly,' it doesn't necessarily mean it's safe because it isn't regulated by the EPA.
'Essentially, they're marketing terms,' Geller told EveryDayHealth. 'Many so-called 'natural' products still contain hazardous chemicals and undisclosed 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 it would in 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.
