The objective of any green cleaning program would be to decrease the impact of cleaners on people and also the environment. Using all-natural green cleaners keeps harmful chemicals out of the air we breathe and from our rivers and streams, where it may cause ecological damage for a long time.
Americans spend the majority of their time indoors. Yet, indoor quality of air is rated worse than outdoor quality of air. Environmentally friendly Protection Agency rates indoor quality of air as one of the Top 5 health problems to Americans, saying indoor air is 3 to 5 times as harmful as outdoor air. It's estimated that poor quality of air in offices along with other work environments costs businesses $20 billion in workers' compensation claims each year.
Cleaning goods are a significant cause of poor people quality of air inside buildings. One from three cleaning products contains ingredients recognized to cause human health or environmental problems. Research conducted by the Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project found that the typical janitor uses 48 pounds of hazardous chemicals each year.
Many commercial products contain high amounts of chemical toxins (VOCs), be responsible for headaches, difficulty in breathing, along with other symptoms in building occupants. Some cleaning products contain cancer-causing carcinogens along with other chemicals that happen to be associated with reproductive organ damage, birth defects, kidney damage and neurological problems.
The detrimental health impact from harsh cleaners is especially noticeable in janitors, who use cleaning products daily on the job. Janitors often experience rates of occupational asthma twice that of other professions. Research by Washington State showed that 6% suffer job-related injuries from contact with chemical cleaners each year.
However they are only some of the ones subjected to unhealthy indoor air. The EPA has estimated that as much as 30% of workers in offices experience health issues from unhealthy air in buildings, also called Sick Building Syndrome. Switching to green cleaning can help reduce health issues and related costs.
Harsh chemicals also place their toll on our environment. By doing simple things like cleaning a sink or bathtub with Ajax, you're sending chemicals in to the sewer system and finally into streams and waterways. Chemicals develop with time. Chemicals commonly found in cleaners for example nonylphenolethoxylate (NPE) degrade slowly and also become more toxic because they degrade. Other ingredients don't break up whatsoever and may harm organisms in our rivers and streams for many years in the future.
Cleaning products with heavy chemicals and fragrances that are water-based pose threats in these vulnerable environments with chemical toxins (VOCs). These emitted chemical gases from certain solids or liquids contain short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of numerous VOCs are occasionally as much as 10 times higher indoors than outdoors. These levels are dangerous for individuals who frequent your building as well because the users of the products containing VOCs, like janitorial staff.
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