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Common Toxic Chemicals/Objects found at Home
All over the world in many developed households, other than [|radon] gases, we keep chemical products to ensure our homes and ourselves are free of any dust, pest, insects, and arachnids. However, little do we realise that these commodities do hide something notorious that can cause a lot of health problems for both humans and the environment itself. Have you ever wondered if the detergent is causing damage to your fingers? Is Bleach all that harmful and a skin colour changer agent? Is detergent the way to keep out waterborne viruses settling themselves on your plates? According to experts, the manuals on the product bottles says it all, but because of our lack of understanding on what those latin chemical compounds are, we might as well trust the pictures on the container ('judging the package'). In addition, many may be unaware that combinations of certain household toxic chemicals may yield exothermic, endothermic and even explosive reactions that could even be life threatening. That is, our bodies are the reactants that will react to these toxic items.

**Liquid and Powdered Detergents**


The most common victims of chemical poisoning are both pets and children. For example, unwashed soup off a plate or cutlery would render it harmful for one's stomach. The reason that detergent (or //alkylbenzenesulfonates//) that is not washed off properly could be harmful to people is that its alkaline content could create reactions within our bodies. In our stomach, with is mainly acidic neutralises with the alkaline content, possibly dissolving our stomach walls the same way of drinking too much carbonated beverages. Another possibility towards being harmed is rubbing one's eye. This mainly occurs when the washer is not aware that his hand is filled with detergent and proceeds to scratch it, or he/she was not careful and soap is splashed off the sink. Whatever the possibilities, having detergent in the eyes would cause severe burning and a possible lost of vision. In an article from an Australian website, CHOICE, it has briefly claim a boy of only 18 months swallowed a large amount of caustic dishwasher detergent. In response, his throat was severely damaged (nearly dissolving most of it). However, this case was no surprise to Australian and New Zealand emergency institutes, as of 1998 to 2004 the number of cases of detergent poisoning was 76 (Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit), while the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset claimed to have received 207 cases. Whereas in New Zealand, 2002~2005 surveyed over 615 incidences. Overall, we can easily see how children can easily mistaken both liquid and powder detergent to an extent that it looks like 'consumables' to their very senses.



**Pesticides, Insecticides and Fungicides**
Pesticides, Insecticides and even Fungicides had always been known for it being effective in doing what the package says it does, but is hazardous. Consuming or even inhaling any of these sprays could be catastrophic to one's system, especially to children. Symptoms from ingesting these '-cides' range from behaviour problems, disruption of hormone and oestrogen functions, lowered immune system, reproductive problems and even brain damage. Although adults may be more resistant, the compounds that make up pesticides, insecticides and fungicides are stored within fat through bioamplification. For pregnant women, the embryo/baby inside the womb will develop abnormally in terms of its mental abilities when it begins life (as fat content get transferred into the baby's system via the umbilical cord). Even if the child is already born, the child can still come in contact with these compounds by consuming vegetables or meat from animals that consumed plants with pesticides strayed on them previously. In addition, babies who are breast fed could end up having pesticides in their body too, as milk consists of fat which is able to hold the pesticide.

**Powdered Bleach**
Powdered Bleach. Not flour, not baking soda, not cocaine, nor a cartoon, but the powder used often on white clothes to rid stains from all sorts of unwash-able contents. Within this corrosive product, contains a notorious chemical compound known as //Hypochlorine//(though other more complex compounds do exist). This chlorine is the source of the burning sensation, and medical attention is often needed if one does not have the correct creams to it (although some scientist do not advise anti-burn cream). Again, children are most vulnerable, as Bleach (with larger particles) may look like sugar or flour (for smaller particles). If bleach was swallowed, the strong base would dissolve the surface of the tongue, mouth, oesophagus, and stomach. It would whiten the interior, making ones mouth and throat swollen and pink. Symptoms include development of asthma, stomach pain, blistering, sore throat, vomiting, slowed heart rate and even coughing. Although small amounts are inhaled every month or even every laundry visit the mentioned symptoms vary in severity. For children, their vulnerable bodies are less resistant and have lower chances of even withstanding even a few grammes of bleach. Interestingly, the whitening of body interiors and even skin had developed a racial connotation for 'changing skin colour'. Hence, Michael Jackson often drank concoctions of bleach to 'whiten' himself. In fact, swallowing bleach is actually less harmful than getting it into your eyes. If one were to catch bleach in one's eye, blindness could follow if the particulates aren't washed off with water. It should be noted that while rinsing, one should not rub his/her eye as this ruptures the eye more and expose more parts to unwashed bleach. Eye drops will be useless to some extend, because it only consumes time and eye drops aren't made for curing irritation caused from chemicals. However, if one fails to wash off the bleach, the structures that make up the eye would 'dissolve', potentially causing blindness.

Bleach, according to Pediatrics, is responsible of over 37% of all household cleaner related injuries. This sounds quite high considering that there are many more cleaners with thousands of different purposes. Nevertheless, the use of bleach still comes down to how unpredictable or careless users may be.

**Mothballs**
The Common Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella) is notorious for sharing your bedroom, and your clothes. Thus, the mothball comes into place as the greatest repel-friendly agent for any user and extermination crew with the exception of children who love mentos© and other candies. Yes, as mentioned multiple times in this article, children fall victim to seemingly edible products.

Mothballs, although are a form of pesticide, contain a noxious compound //1,4-Dichlorobenzene//, which is the source for killing off larvae and fungi related organisms. It's odour is so strong that campers even surround their camp site with these Mothballs just to repel other animals like bears. However, the innocent looking nature of these balls often attract children and other wandering animals who may be attracted to the smell. Thus, children swallow them in mistaking it as delicious candy. The 1,4-Dichlorobenzene is so toxic it could lead to liver damage, respiration failure, heart arrhythmia, choking and even death.

Less scary, but still potentially lethal, is the inhalation of the mothball scent itself. Storing too many in a confined area like a storage facility, broom closet, cupboard, bathroom or bedroom could cause serious headaches, coughing, chest pains, lung damage and again, liver failure. For families with children, mothballs could be placed in containers where the scent could still seep through, but children won't be able to access it. Alternatively, high places, couch bottoms and other non accessible places are good areas to keep children looking elsewhere for their mentos© cravings. But ultimately, the parents would eventually need to educate and tell their children the difference between candies and mothballs, and gain the trust in their children in knowing what is enjoyable, and a trip to the hospital.

**Silica Gel**


Silica Gel is not actually gel, but a solid. One could find these gels often packed into small permeable plastic bags and stored into the insides of shoes and other boxes. In addition, there is always a warning not to 'eat' the gel, let alone open it, and further instruction to //immediately// dispose it. Ingestion of these hazardous products would cause respiration problems, digestion disturbance (tummy upsets), itchy skin and irritation in the eyes. Some other silica gel packages come with moisture indicators (or //Cobalt(II) Chloride//) which allow users to determine moisture levels that could change the state or form of the original product, especially in cat litter boxes; the silica gel eliminates odour. However, this //Cobalt(II) Chloride// makes the Silica Gel evermore deadly as it could cause direct cancer if too much is inhaled or swallowed (it is carcinogenic). As a precaution, one should read the instructions and avoid cutting open the bag.

Warning Symbols
Knowing the warning symbols would allow one to recognise the hazard in using these products. Although some, if not almost all, products do not necessarily print our these following symbols, they should still display all information regarding the chemical product's safety. Any products that do not abide leaving instructions and/or safety features must be reported to the respected company, or the organisation that regulate these companies.

European Hazard Symbols (All of EU)