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Just as toxic if not worse is laundry detergent and especially fabric softener (scented of course). Here is a list of just SOME of the toxic chemicals found in

by dnndev 6y ago

Just as toxic if not worse is laundry detergent and especially fabric softener (scented of course). Here is a list of just SOME of the toxic chemicals found in commercial fabric softeners: Alpha Terpineol: can cause central nervous damage and respiratory problems Camphor: causes central nervous disorders, is easily absorbed through skin Chloroform: a carcinogenic neurotoxin preferred by Ted Bundy Benzyl Acetate: linked to pancreatic cancer Benyl Alcohol: respiratory tract irritant Ethanol: on the EPA’s “hazardous waste” list, can cause central nervous system disorders Ethyl Acetate: a narcotic on the EPA’s “hazardous waste” list Limonene: a known carcinogen that irritates eyes and skin Linalool: causes central nervous system disorders and depresses heart activity

mindslight 6y ago
> Ethanol: on the EPA’s “hazardous waste” list, can cause central nervous system disorders And with that you've demonstrated that your entire list isn't likely to be grounded in reality.
- astura 6y ago
  For those that might not know, ethanol is the "alcohol" in "alcoholic beverages."
- conistonwater 6y ago
  That is technically correct, technically.
01100011 6y ago
Alpha Terpineol is in pine trees. Benzyl Alcohol is in many plants and foods. Ethanol is, well, ethanol. Ethyl Acetate is found in many alcoholic beverages and is a simple ester of ethanol and acetic acid(vinegar). Limonene is orange oil, found in citrus peels. Linalool is found in many spices and flowers. I'm not sure if you're seriously trying to scare people or making a sarcastic 'di-hydrogen monoxide' style joke.
- PurpleFoxy 6y ago
  I imagine a lot of this stuff is only a risk in certain quantities or forms which you rarely encounter. I find it funny how many basic things we use in food have somewhat high scores on that hazard diamond.
- ryanmercer 6y ago
  >Alpha Terpineol is in pine trees. Are you trying to argue it is safe because it is natural? Terpineol, and other various other chemicals in woods, can cause skin/eye/mucous membrane irritation. Inhale enough terpineol and you can cause permanent lung damage. Turpentine (which terpineol is a derivative of), which comes from pine trees, is bad stuff. It can cause kidney damage, bleeding in the lungs, etc. Inhaling it can even cause central nervous system damage and can be immediately fatal in high enough concentration.
  - 01100011 6y ago
    No, I'm saying you're probably exposed to it anyway, so keep your fears in perspective.
kragen 6y ago
Alle Ding sind Gift und nichts ohn' Gift; allein die Dosis macht, das ein Ding kein Gift ist. Camphor occurs naturally in the tree from which it takes its name, and also basil and rosemary naturally contain it in large quantities. Its lethal dose is reasonably small, under a gram for children, but its pungent odor seems to prevent most poisonings, and it seems to have no cumulative toxicity despite widespread use as an inhalant (for example, to alleviate symptoms of colds). A typical case report reads: > A 3-year-old girl ingested 700 mg camphor from 1 tablespoon of Vicks VapoRub (R). This product had also been placed in her nostrils twice daily for 5 months. Grand-mal seizures occurred 2 h after ingestion. Coma and respiratory depression lasted 21 h. Full recovery ensued (Phelan, 1976). Benzyl acetate and benzyl alcohol are produced naturally by jasmine flowers (they're the major constituent of their scent) and the ylang-ylang tree. Benzyl alcohol is also a constituent of castoreum. It can also strip the paint off your walls and destroy your corneas. Chloroform is produced by many kinds of seaweed, perhaps by soil fungus, and in abundance by chlorinated drinking water. Most of the other toxic chemicals here have been covered by other posters. Ethanol, though, that's a huge social problem; aside from the cognitive impairments it's best known for, it may be the single chemical poison responsible for the largest number of yearly human deaths due to its addictive nature. Fortunately, the amount used in fabric softeners is typically about a thousandth of the dose needed to produce toxic effects.
tomhoward 6y ago
I've learned to avoid using fabric softener, but any time I'm exposed to it (in other people's houses), I get a frightening lung reaction; some wheezing initially, then my chest seizes up making me feel like I can barely breathe at all. I think it's a protective anxiety reaction to warn me to avoid it, rather than an actual dangerous allergic reaction, but there's something about it my body really doesn't like. I don't have any other allergies or asthma normally these days; I had dust/mite-related asthma as a child but have mostly grown out of it. That fabric softener reaction is the only reaction of that kind I've noticed in about the past 15 years.

by dnndev 6y ago

mindslight 6y ago

> Ethanol: on the EPA’s “hazardous waste” list, can cause central nervous system disorders And with that you've demonstrated that your entire list isn't likely to be grounded in reality.

astura 6y ago
For those that might not know, ethanol is the "alcohol" in "alcoholic beverages."
conistonwater 6y ago
That is technically correct, technically.

01100011 6y ago

Alpha Terpineol is in pine trees. Benzyl Alcohol is in many plants and foods. Ethanol is, well, ethanol. Ethyl Acetate is found in many alcoholic beverages and is a simple ester of ethanol and acetic acid(vinegar). Limonene is orange oil, found in citrus peels. Linalool is found in many spices and flowers. I'm not sure if you're seriously trying to scare people or making a sarcastic 'di-hydrogen monoxide' style joke.

PurpleFoxy 6y ago
I imagine a lot of this stuff is only a risk in certain quantities or forms which you rarely encounter. I find it funny how many basic things we use in food have somewhat high scores on that hazard diamond.
ryanmercer 6y ago
>Alpha Terpineol is in pine trees. Are you trying to argue it is safe because it is natural? Terpineol, and other various other chemicals in woods, can cause skin/eye/mucous membrane irritation. Inhale enough terpineol and you can cause permanent lung damage. Turpentine (which terpineol is a derivative of), which comes from pine trees, is bad stuff. It can cause kidney damage, bleeding in the lungs, etc. Inhaling it can even cause central nervous system damage and can be immediately fatal in high enough concentration.
- 01100011 6y ago
  No, I'm saying you're probably exposed to it anyway, so keep your fears in perspective.

kragen 6y ago

Alle Ding sind Gift und nichts ohn' Gift; allein die Dosis macht, das ein Ding kein Gift ist. Camphor occurs naturally in the tree from which it takes its name, and also basil and rosemary naturally contain it in large quantities. Its lethal dose is reasonably small, under a gram for children, but its pungent odor seems to prevent most poisonings, and it seems to have no cumulative toxicity despite widespread use as an inhalant (for example, to alleviate symptoms of colds). A typical case report reads: > A 3-year-old girl ingested 700 mg camphor from 1 tablespoon of Vicks VapoRub (R). This product had also been placed in her nostrils twice daily for 5 months. Grand-mal seizures occurred 2 h after ingestion. Coma and respiratory depression lasted 21 h. Full recovery ensued (Phelan, 1976). Benzyl acetate and benzyl alcohol are produced naturally by jasmine flowers (they're the major constituent of their scent) and the ylang-ylang tree. Benzyl alcohol is also a constituent of castoreum. It can also strip the paint off your walls and destroy your corneas. Chloroform is produced by many kinds of seaweed, perhaps by soil fungus, and in abundance by chlorinated drinking water. Most of the other toxic chemicals here have been covered by other posters. Ethanol, though, that's a huge social problem; aside from the cognitive impairments it's best known for, it may be the single chemical poison responsible for the largest number of yearly human deaths due to its addictive nature. Fortunately, the amount used in fabric softeners is typically about a thousandth of the dose needed to produce toxic effects.

tomhoward 6y ago

I've learned to avoid using fabric softener, but any time I'm exposed to it (in other people's houses), I get a frightening lung reaction; some wheezing initially, then my chest seizes up making me feel like I can barely breathe at all. I think it's a protective anxiety reaction to warn me to avoid it, rather than an actual dangerous allergic reaction, but there's something about it my body really doesn't like. I don't have any other allergies or asthma normally these days; I had dust/mite-related asthma as a child but have mostly grown out of it. That fabric softener reaction is the only reaction of that kind I've noticed in about the past 15 years.