Mother's Guide to Hazardous Household Substances

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Teflon-type coatings: May be any of a number of plastics besides the Du Pont product.

—Hazards: Tetrafluoroethylene is toxic but is only released from cookware at very high temperatures (above 700°F). The coatings may chip off as the pot or pan wears.

Stainless steel: Usually layered onto aluminum or steel.

— Hazards: Persons with extreme metal sensitivity may need to avoid its use because of nickel leaching. In large dosages, nickel causes cancer.

Dinnerware

Cadmium coatings: Used on some metal trays, particularly older ice cube trays.

—Hazards: Acid-containing foods may leach cadmium from coated trays. Cadmium is highly toxic; see KITCHEN: Kitchenware, Earthenware. Decorated glasses: Many patterned glasses are prepared with decals.

—Hazards: Decals contain strong concentrations of lead and cadmium, which may be released onto the hands or lips. Both are highly toxic; see KITCHEN: Kitchenware, Earthenware.

Pewter: Old pewter may have been made with lead, a practice that's been discontinued.

—Hazards: Lead is very toxic; see KITCHEN: Kitchenware, Earthenware. Plastic plates: Older plastic plates were often made with melamine and formaldehyde.

—Hazards: Formaldehyde can leach from such products. It is toxic and carcinogenic; see UTILITY ROOM: Disinfectants/Air Fresheners.

What Lurks in Your Utility Room?

Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is required to regulate substances or products that are toxic, are flammable, are corrosive, are irritating, generate pressure, are radioactive, or cause strong reactions in people prone to allergies. It also regulates toys that present electrical, mechanical, or thermal hazards to children. The CPSC's mandate also includes the authority to require labeling on products that contain such hazardous substances or which present hazards by their design.

To date, the CPSC's main concern has been with acute toxicity or other immediate hazards, so the study of chronic hazards of vapors in the household has been largely left to the Environmental Protection Agency. In the late 70's and early 80's the EPA began to study a number of different indoor pollution problems, the most prominent of them being emissions from gas appliances and heaters, kerosene heaters, and woodburning stoves. In the last two years, however, the EPA has largely abandoned work in these areas.

To make matters worse, a bill (H.R. 2668) was introduced and passed in the House in the fall of 1983 that would strip the CPSC's ability to act. The bill proposes that no CPSC rule be enforceable until it has passed the House and Senate and has been signed by the President. The Senate's reaction to this legislation bears watching.

It's not surprising, then, that the ability of regulation to protect us from the more insidious hazards of household products is quite limited. Once we tread beyond the immediate danger posed by the following substances, we've moved onto soft ground. It's our position, once again, that in the absence of knowledge, we should exercise caution.

If you'd like more information on the safety of the cleansers, detergents, and other chemicals used to care for your home, we'd suggest that you look into The Household Pollutants Guide by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (Environmental Action Foundation, 1346 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20036, $4.95) and The Product Safety Book by Stephen Brobeck and Anne C. Averyt (The Consumer Federation of America, E.P. Dutton, Inc. , 1983, $9.95). Also, for suggestions on how to replace commercial cleansers (among other things), see Natural Formula Book for Home and Yard edited by Dan Wallace (Rodale Press, Inc., 1982, $17.95).

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