
Many common household products emit airborne toxins that can harm your health in ways up to and including cancer, a new study reports. Dozens of different types of consumer products contain toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals that escape as gases and accumulate in indoor air, researchers from the Silent Spring Institute and the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), reported. More than 100 types of products contain VOCs that can cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, according to their report published May 2 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. More than 5,000 tons of VOCs were released from consumer products in California in 2020, the researchers estimated. The investigators identified 30 categories of products that deserve special scrutiny because they frequently contain harmful chemicals and may pose the greatest health risk. Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, was the most common harmful VOC. It was found in nail polish, shampoo, makeup and many other types of personal care products. Other products that emit VOCs included cleaners, art supplies, laundry detergents, mothballs and adhesives. “This study is the first to reveal the extent to which toxic VOCs are used in everyday products of all types that could lead to serious health problems,” lead author Kristin Knox, a scientist at Silent Spring Institute, said in an institute news release. “Making this information public could incentivize… read on > read on >