How can I be proactive against toxic air pollution products?

Almost every household has someone that has died from cancer. Collaborative efforts against toxic fumes from dangerous scented products can help to make a difference worldwide. By educating those that surround you, spreading the awareness of dangers of artificially produced substances and writing to the proper federal agencies, it is possible to reduce and even eliminate the production and usage of some of the most dangerous man-made chemical products on the market that heavily saturate our breathable air.

On humid days our neighborhoods are saturated with such a heavy smog of the household chemicals that it dramatically increases our blood saturation of these toxic products. The fumes are a major contributor to climate change. They consist of all kinds of nonbiodegradable VOC’s, phthalates, terpenes, benzene, petroleum distillates, coal tar derivitives and lots of other offending, endocrine disruptors and neurotoxins. They are all carbon compounds.

For example, an Environmental Defense in Canada that is very pro-active with this matter. They are taking it a step at a time trying to ban either single or groups of chemicals. They have been successful and are continuing to go after the government agencies about these problems. The comparative in the U.S. would be Environment Working Group.

1. Write to every company that produces fragrant products asking them to reduce the level of fragrance in their products and stop making boosters.
2. Write your Federal government both Health and Environment agencies to ask that they ban toxic products and products that carry fragrance. Specifically noting laundry products and how the fragrance gets into the air we breathe and the water system we drink. Also mention that the fragrance transfers and sticks to chairs and sofas from people who are using these products and to ban the chemicals that make it stick.
3. Contact EWG or EPA and ask what you can do to help solve this problem.
4. Sign petitions or create them to rid us of these toxic products.
5. We must regulate dryer vent emissions, just like cars and smokestacks. Write your state representatives to get the law to include dryer vents.

Although vehicular pollution is considered a major source of air pollution in cities around the world, a recent study shows that the source of ambient air pollution in urban spaces has shifted to other Volatile Chemical Products (VCPs), or everyday products, such as pesticides, coatings, printing inks, adhesives, cleaning agents and personal care. They contain organic solvents which are major sources of pollutants called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

Pollution from chemical products used indoors is usually more dangerous than outdoor pollution, according to the study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Published in the journal Science, the study bears significance as it was conducted in 33 industrialized cities in Europe and US. It said that more then 50 percent of air pollution is caused by these volatile chemicals.

The study concluded that the per product intensity of VOC emission from chemical products has increased by several orders of magnitude in comparison to emissions from fuel burning in vehicles. In the US, the input of fossil fuels for transportation is 15 times that of the amount used for chemical products; yet the emissions intensity from chemical products is twice as much that from vehicle exhausts.

1. The majority of air pollution is caused by humans
2. Air pollution was responsible for seven million preventable deaths world-wide in a single year
3. The World Health Organization recently announced air pollution as the world’s largest environmental health risk
4. The effects of continuous exposure to low levels of certain air-pollutants, such as fine particulate matter, is still unknown
5. Children, pregnant women, the elderly and low socio-economic groups are more likely to be vulnerable to the health effects of air pollution

After high efficiency detergents started in the early 90’s, autism, ADHD and Alzheimer skyrocketed. Is it any wonder why kids today can’t focus as they receive chronic exposure 24/7 to these destructive compounds.

Rather than waiting for air pollution to slowly suffocate us, let’s take back the power to respond back. We need place all of our awareness into an action, as well as treating our air as the most precious environmental factor. We need to turn off the flow of toxic pollution at the source by discontinuing buying the products that act against the nature. We need industry, entrepreneurs and the private sector to switch from mass production of cheap, breakable “stuff” to longer-lasting, harmless, organic and quality products. Sustainability and quality must precede the production volumes.