Blog 5

1. For my household products search, I looked up Clorox disinfecting wipes and Windex glass cleaning spray. I was nervous to look these up, because I imagined they would be quite toxic, but neither had major toxicity risks listed (besides the typical avoid contact with eyes and skin in case of irritation). Neither were listed as carcinogenic. I was surprised by the lack of toxicity listed for these two products.

2. I also took the quiz on toxic chemicals listed in the module and was surprised to learn that many household cleaning products contain formaldehyde. I was also shocked to learn from that quiz that mattresses and couches contain flame retardants which have been linked to low IQ in kids and early puberty.

3. There need to be huge changes in the ways in which we look at environmental policy. The fact that formaldehyde is a carcinogen and is also a major component of many products in the United States is so hard to wrap my brain around - and governmental regulation agencies like the EPA and FDA need to take a stand and develop strict guidelines as to what products can contain.

At my community health clinic, a patient recently brought in homemade soaps and lotions that he creates with CBD oil. While I'm not sure how eco-friendly his practices are, if we could shift the mindset of many United States citizens from a consumerist society to one that was more creative in making homemade products, there could be benefits to the environment. With greater education and awareness of environmental issues, for the sake of the environment itself and animals as well as for people, the climate havoc that we've created could be slowed down.

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