Beware dangerous chemicals in the home

HOME is where people rest their head, raise children and share warm moments of love together. Home is a safe space.

For the past five months, the country has been told to stay home, stay safe and practise a rigid sanitation process. In this time of a covid19 cleaning frenzy, cleaning products are in great demand. Without care, however, the chemicals inside the home can be just as deadly as any virus.

The Ministry of Planning and Development hosted a webinar on July 3 called Household Chemical Safety where the registrar of pesticides and toxic chemicals at the Ministry of Health, Hasmath Ali, discussed safety use of chemicals.

Bleach, ammonia, disinfectant and more kill microscopic viruses and bacteria lurking on dirty surfaces. However, if used improperly and without adequate protection, the exact weapons used to kill microbes can slowly kill humans.

“It is important when managing these chemicals to use them properly to prevent harm to oneself, others in the household and the environment,” Ali said.

There are two types of household chemicals: pesticides and non-pesticidal chemicals.

Pesticides such as insect repellents, aerosol sprays, mosquito coils, moth balls, rodenticides, termiticides, wood preservatives, agricultural pesticides and pet care products are frequently found in the household.

“A number of these pest care products at the household are not considered pesticides, but they are pesticides and they are quite toxic.”

Non-pesticidal chemicals are detergents, disinfectants, deodorisers, polishes and cleaners.

The misuse of household chemicals and pesticides can affect people negatively, either acutely – an immediate reaction to a chemical such as burns, rashes, runny noses, or watering eyes – or chronically.

Chronic side effects of household chemicals, Ali said, can be more dangerous as it slowly harms the body over time.

Chronic respiratory disorder, cancers, kidney diseases, all have been related to prolonged chemical exposure.

Most people can become exposed to the negative effects of chemicals and pesticides when the user is not adequately informed about the product or products and its applications.

Commonly, Ali said, people either do not read the labels properly before applying the products or a person takes advice from someone who is not trained in chemical management.

The hazards associated with chemicals are either toxic, corrosive, irritative, carcinogenic or damaging to the reproductive system.

A toxic chemical can harm one or more organ system with varying effects. Some chemicals damage lungs, affect the nervous system or cause kidney or liver failure.

The effect of toxic chemicals may not affect the same spot it enters the body. A chemical could be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, and then affect the brain, respiratory system or lungs.

A person does not need to swallow the pesticide to be poisoned. Pesticide absorption through the skin is a lot easier to get into the system.

“It is usually the most common case the medical system sees coming from homes. People apply insect repellent to their skin, particularly on children and the percentage of active ingredient in the insect repellent is higher than what can be tolerated on a toddler’s skin.”

The child is poisoned by the active ingredient, has a skin irritation or becomes sick

Colour-coded pesticide strength

All agricultural pesticides and household pesticides in the TT market are colour coded. Attention should be paid to the colour codes on pesticide bottles. Toxic agricultural pesticides, Ali said, should not be used in homes.

Aerosol cans typically have a green band on the base of the container. A green label indicates it is safe for the home. Most aerosols belong to the World Health Organization’s toxicity class four, which means they are safe for household use.

“It does not mean that they are non-toxic, but safer for use within homes,” Ali said.

Pesticides found at agricultural shops have colour codes ranging from red, yellow, blue and green. Red would be the most toxic, yellow is a little less toxic, and green the least toxic.

Home gardens should not be use pesticides with the red class at all. Red pesticides are extremely toxic and having them in the homes, after use on the crop will continue to pose an immediate risk to people living there, particularly on children and pets if they get in contact with the pesticide.

Use personal protection equipment

Personal protective equipment such as goggles, gloves and respirators should always be used when applying pesticides and chemicals.

All information on proper application of pesticides will be given on the container’s instructions.

“To use any chemicals, you must spend that time learning about the hazards, learning about the product and what are the necessary personal protective equipment that you need to use when you are ready to apply these chemicals.”

Inhalation of pesticides can take chemicals directly into the blood stream, as can open cuts and rashes. The eyes are an effective route of entry to chemicals. The eyes are sensitive to many chemicals and can become irritated or burnt severely.

“We use a lot of cleaners in the home to clean tiles, clean bathrooms, ovens and more. We also use a lot of bleaches. It’s important when we use these products you have some sort of eye and respiratory protection.”

When these products become active on a dirty surface, they tend to give off toxic fumes which can get into the eyes and lungs causing irritation and respiratory
distress.

Do not use chemicals in a closed environment but in a well-ventilated space where fumes and odours would not build up to a level that would cause harm during application. Bathrooms are not well-ventilated spaces.

Corrosive and irritative chemicals affect the body differently than toxic chemicals such as pesticides. They tend to cause an irritation when in contact with skin. A person can be burned from corrosive and irritative chemicals.

Nitrile gloves are the recommended while cleaning because it provides protection on a range of chemicals. Chemicals can acutely affect the tissue they touch and be transported through the body which could cause effects to other body parts.

“Effects are generally immediate. Things like acid, caustics are examples of irritative chemicals so we are looking at things like stove and oven cleaners, drain cleaners, caustic soda and bleaches.”

Ali strongly advised against people against mixing chemicals while cleaning.

“Try and not to mix your bleach and ammonia compounds. You started doing work with bleach or ammonia, you run short and you pick up something else. Not reading the label properly, one of these other chemicals when mixed together turns into a corrosive gas that can be fatal, especially in a closed environment.

“A lot of times, these gases get into your lungs and are very difficult to be expelled from your lungs.”

Lungs can be irritated causing mucus to build up and a person could die of respiratory distress.

“To protect yourself from exposures, read the label and using the recommended personal protective equipment.”

Avoid inhaling chemicals by using a respirator if excessive airborne exposure will be present. Wash hands before eating, drinking and smoking to avoid swallowing chemicals.

Be cognisant of combustibles

If an irritating chemical touches the skin or eyes, immediately flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes, keeping the eyelid open. Wash skin thoroughly with soap and water immediately, and if the irritation continues, seek medical advice.

People must be cognisant of the combustible products they use. Hand sanitiser use has increased since covid19. Most hand sanitisers have at least 70 per cent alcohol with either isopropyl alcohol or ethyl alcohols.

Ali said the hospitals experienced a few cases of people using hand sanitiser then cooking or lighting a stove and their hands caught fire.

“That’s something you need to be conscious of if you are going to use hand sanitiser. It is flammable – alcohol based…You are really putting yourself at risk if you are using it and then going to engage in any sort of activity that would involve flames.”

Other combustible chemicals are oils and fuels. Most oils are flammable. Tanks with propane gas, typically used for barbecue, are thin walled tanks and if punctured or exposed to a flame, would combust or explode.

Do not mix chemicals

People can accidentally make an explosive if they mix the wrong chemical. Fertilisers, for example, can be combustible. Ensure there is appropriate storage areas for fertilisers and pesticides.

“Don’t have everything stored in one location in an unkempt room, and fuel is stored in that area. Fuel for your brush cutter, to cut the grass in your yard, if by accident fuel and fertiliser end up mixing, it could cause an explosive compound.”

Reactive chemicals, like bleach and ammonia will form chloramine gas – dangers toxic fume that can kill.

The combination of hydrogen peroxide and henna could cause hair loss.

“For all the young ladies who like to put henna in their hair, and they don’t like how it looks, so they use hydrogen peroxide, that’s a dangerous mix. Your hair could fall off.”

When plastic containers with pesticides or cleaners are finished, do not reuse. When pesticides and toxic chemicals are in plastic containers, the residue can never be totally washed totally out. Do not use those bottles to put other items, it will contaminate the new product.

Do not wash chemicals down the drain or flush it down the toilet. People who are connected to a septic tank would be introducing chemicals into a bio digestion chamber which already has a gas build up. This mixture could be toxic. That compound could be fed back into the home through the toilet.