Lead in household products

Keywords Lead poisoning Environmental exposure Lead in household products Lead dust Vinyl products Polyvinyl chloride Lead solder Electronic waste Toys Lead shot and bullets Glass and ceramics ... 

Ethoxylated nonionics show a peculiar behavior with regard to temperature in a given temperature range, their solubility decreases with a temperature increase, leading to surfactant precipitation at the cloud point. This anomalous behavior of ethoxylated nonionics as well as the possibility to fine-tune the HLB make them especially useful for bringing complex surfactant compositions to the phase-inversion temperature (PIT) conditions and, thereby, for more easily entering microemulsion conditions. The domain of appreciation of nonioiScs is very broad in industrial as well as in household products. 

After six weeks of golfing in Florida, Midgley returned to work on March 15 with his temperature still below normal. Even so, he was confident that lead could be handled safely in the laboratory. After all, lead also appeared in house paint, water pipes, food cans, and many other common household products. 

Small quantities of hazardous solid wastes (such as potassium dichromate, lead nitrate, silver nitrate, asbestos, etc.), liquid chemicals (such as chloroform, PCB, methylene chloride, etc.), petrochemicals (such as gasoline. No. 2 fuel oil, etc.), or pure metals (such as mercury, sodium, etc.), which are stored in bottles or cans, however, are not considered to be hazardous household products. Accordingly these nonhousehold hazardous solid wastes, even in small quantities, can only be properly disposed of by licenced or certified environmental professionals. 

The toxicology of household products is fascinating because it deals with products that we are all familiar with and because so many different kinds of products are involved. A typical home may contain cleaning products, cosmetics and personal care products, paints, medications, pesticides, fuels, and various solvents. Thermometers and thermostats may contain mercury, a well-known toxicant. Older homes were often painted with a lead-based paint, which if consumed causes serious developmental effects. Building materials may contain toxic solvents that are released into the home. The toxicity and ingredients of household products vary widely, but highly toxic products are found in most homes (Table 18.1). 

Decay curves whose shape can be described by multi-exponential functions under constant climatic conditions are generally observed. In contrast, the emission properties of substances from household products are related to human activities. Therefore, emission properties of household products depend on how the products are used. For example, moth crystals and toilet deodorizers are designed for continuous use. Consequently, they emit volatile components at a constant emission rate. On the other hand, spontaneous release of VOC from sprays, waxes, liquid cleaners and other detergents leads to short-time high concentrations, which decay rapidly. 

Exposure to zinc oxide can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and eye or skin contact. Ingestion of zinc oxide ointments is most common in household settings and is generally considered nontoxic due to relatively low product concentrations. Inhalation of zinc oxide in industrial areas, as particulate matter or fumes, may lead to potentially toxic exposures. 

Episodes that lead to acute, non-lethal events are many and varied. They range from accidents in the home with household products to consumption of plant and animal toxins from industrial and transportation accidents to skin contact with certain plants such as poison ivy from consumption of too much alcohol to inhaling of certain air pollutants, both outdoors and indoors, that have for some reason accumulated to unusually high levels. 

Domestic refuse would normally produce leachate with the highest BOD (high strength leachate) but may be low in individual hazardous components. However, even domestic refuse will not be free of hazardous materials. According to Jones-Lee and Lee (1993), it has been estimated that each person (in the USA) contributes 4 litres.yr of hazardous chemicals to their household waste stream. These chemicals can include pesticides, paint residues, and mercury from fluorescent tubes and batteries. Commercial waste may also produce a high strength leachate, while waste classified as "inert" is, in effect, seldom inert and often contains a proportion of degradable components which may lead to the production of a leachate capable of [>ollution. 

Wastewater comprises liquid waste discharged by households, industries and commercial establishments, and is typically collected through sewage pipes in municipal areas. Wastewater also contains chemicals and pathogens that can lead to serious negative impacts on the quality of the environment as well as human health if it is drained directly into major watershed without treatment [4,5]. The use of wastewater as a feedstock in the production of PHA has been proposed as a relevant approach in the shift from a petrochemical-based chemical industry towards a biobased one in order to decrease its manufacturing cost and environmental impact [6]. 

While water pollution by substances difficult to degrade (lead, arsenic, manganese, cadmium) almost exclusively comes from industrial sources, more and more products of the chemical industry used in households and in agriculture are contributing to water pollution. Among them are detergents, soaps and dishwashing liquids, cosmetics, insecticides, and plant protectives. 

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