Monday, January 31, 2011

Study Takes a Biting Look at Bedbugs

Cleanlink News January 20 2011

As many as 20 percent of Americans have had a bedbug infestation in their home or know someone who has encountered bedbugs, according to a study just released by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).* The study found that those Americans most affected by bedbugs tend to live in urban areas where the incidence of bedbugs is three times higher than in rural ones.
Further, most Americans believe the bedbug problem in the United States is on the increase and are most concerned about encountering bedbugs in the following locations:
• Hotels, 80 percent
• Public transportation, 52 percent
• Movie theaters, 49 percent
• Their own homes, 36 percent
• Where they work, 32 percent
Although the report finds Americans are taking steps to minimize their risk of encountering bedbugs-even washing luggage after a long trip-there are still a lot of misconceptions about the pests, most specifically that the only way to eradicate them is through the use of powerful and potentially dangerous pesticides.
"Our industry must take steps to help end users realize [that] there are effective and more environmentally responsible-strategies available to eradicate bedbugs," says Michael Schaffer, a senior executive with Tacony's commercial floorcare division and President of Tornado Industries.
For instance, Schaffer suggests using professional steam cleaners can prove very helpful.
He adds that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends when controlling any type of pests, "the most effective strategy may be an approach known as integrated pest management (IPM), which emphasizes the limited use of pesticides."
In fact, pesticide treatments alone can often prove ineffective because it may not kill the eggs, according to Schaffer.
"Due to the insidious nature of bedbugs, eradicating them can be a challenge," he says. "But by using an integrated pest management approach and employing specific [cleaning] equipment and measures, bedbugs can be eliminated with less impact on users, building occupants, and the environment."

Monday, January 24, 2011

Study: 'Green' products emit hazardous

Widely-used scented consumer products that claim to be "green," "organic" or "natural" emit just as many toxic chemicals as other fragranced products, new research shows.

The study analyzed 25 scented products; about half carried green health claims. All the products
emitted at least one chemical classified as toxic or hazardous.

More than a third of the samples gave off one chemical classified as a probable carcinogen by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the research, published in the journal
Environmental Impact Assessment Review. The EPA has set no safe exposure level for possible
carcinogens.

Overall, the products tested emitted more than 420 chemicals, but virtually none were disclosed to consumers, said the study's lead author, Anne Steinemann, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Washington.

"Products with 'organic fragrance,' 'natural fragrance,' and 'essential oils' emitted just as many toxic chemicals," she said. "Basically, if it had any kind of fragrance or scent, it emitted toxic chemicals."

A single "fragrance" in a product can be a mixture of up to several hundred ingredients. But since manufacturers are not required to disclose all ingredients in cosmetics, cleaning supplies, air fresheners or laundry products, the majority of the chemicals are not listed on the labels.

The most common emissions the researchers found included limonene, a compound with a citrus
scent; apha-pinene and beta-pinene, compounds with a pine scent; ethanol; and acetone, a solvent found in nail polish remover.

Brand names were not included in the data to avoid leaving the impression that products other than the ones reported in the study were safer. "We found potentially hazardous chemicals in all of the fragranced products we tested," said Steinemann.

While the study confirmed the ubiquitous presence of the chemicals, it doesn't look at whether the products are safe to use. Studies conducted by the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials maintain that the ingredients are safe.

But previous research by Steinemann and a colleague showed that nearly 38 percent of Americans report adverse effects when exposed to some kind of fragranced products. Among asthmatics, such complaints were roughly twice as common.

The Household Product Labeling Act, currently being reviewed by the U.S. Senate, would require manufacturers to list ingredients in air fresheners, soaps, laundry supplies and other consumer products.

For consumers who want to avoid the chemicals, Steinemann suggests going back to basics:
Cleaning with vinegar and baking soda, opening windows for ventilation instead of using air
fresheners and using products without any fragrance.

But she cautioned that products called "fragrance-free" and "unscented" are not necessarily nontoxic. The chemicals identified in the study could have been part of the added fragrance, the product base, or both; product formulations are confidential so the researchers had no way of discerning the source.

Moreover, even if a product doesn't have a scent, it could still contain chemicals that are classified as toxic. And as counterintuitive as this sounds, "even a 'fragrance-free'' or 'unscented' product can nonetheless be a fragranced product with the addition of a masking fragrance to cover the scent," she said.

Monday, January 10, 2011

EHANS

Triclosan + tap water = chloroform
More hazards of antibacterial products
Update Fall 2008


Danger: Creates chloroform when mixed with tap water.
If consumers of antibacterial products saw this warning on the label of their anti-bacterial soap, shaving cream, toothpaste or cleaning liquids, or heard it in a TV ad, it is unlikely that so many anti-bacterial products would find their way into our homes. But labels and advertisements don’t tell consumers all they need to know to protect their health.
Research into Triclosan, the most common anti-bacterial chemical used in consumer products, documented that Triclosan reacts with chlorine in tap water to form significant quantities of chloroform. Chloroform is classified as a probable human carcinogen.
Researchers at Virginia Polytechnic and State University estimate that under some conditions the use of triclosan can increase a person’s annual exposure to chloroform by as much as 40% above background levels in tap water. Research results from two studies were published in 2005 and 2007.
So what does a person do if they are concerned about germs? Regular soap and water does just as good a job as antibacterial products – without the risks, according to University of Michigan Department of Public Health professor Dr. Allison Aiello. Vinegar and water is also highly effective in killing germs.
Update, Fall 2008, Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

At ISSA, IEHA Unveils ‘Clean and Healthy Schools for Dummies’

WESTERVILLE, OH -- The International Executive Housekeepers Association is unveiling Clean and Healthy Schools For Dummies at ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America 2010 in Orlando, FL this week.

Authored by Dr. David Mudarri, former senior scientist with the U.S. EPA, Clean and Healthy Schools For Dummies is a 48-page pocket-sized handbook designed to assist both K-12 and higher education facilities to develop and maintain healthy schools.

This latest of IEHA’s For Dummies books helps explain how to achieve a cost-effective cleaning and maintenance program resulting in a healthy, high-efficiency school that boosts attendance as well as student and staff performance,” said Beth Risinger, CEO and Executive Director of IEHA. “It also encourages IEHA members and the cleaning industry at large to explore modern cleaning technologies such as activated water, steam vapor cleaning, and newer floor and restroom cleaning machines among other innovations.”

Clean and Healthy Schools For Dummies shows how to identify indoor pollutants and remove them, how to make a scientific case for cleaning and maintaining schools, and how to get community support for a healthy schools program,” adds the author, David Mudarri, Ph.D.

The title follows on the heels of the success of Infection Control For Dummies, by Darrel Hicks, REH (now in its second printing as Infection Prevention For Dummies). Both books will be available at ISSA/INTERCLEAN at IEHA Booths 3783 and 3874.

Clean and Healthy Schools For Dummies is sponsored by the Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) and Activeion Cleaning Solutions.

IEHA gratefully acknowledges their generous support of this valuable educational resource.