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How safe are everyday chemicals

Clipped to the Drawing Board by George Tan  

The lack of hazard information on the thousands of chemicals which are used in everyday products could be a potential ticking time bomb.  Some scientists believe that consumers need to focus on the enormous gaps in our understanding of how these chemicals affect health and the environment

The effects of human exposure to chemicals in consumer products are difficult to ascertain and are subject to dispute. As a result, there is a growing gap in the ways governments regulate chemicals.

....click the link to read more 

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Harry () Newbie | 2007-12-23 01:22:32
You know, seriously, you just need to take a spoon full of cement and harden the hell up.

Every week there's some new danger to worry about. It's all rubbish.
Wendy () Newbie | 2007-12-23 01:23:44
It's all just part of the bubblerapification of the population. It's sad but what are you going to do.
Craig () Newbie | 2007-12-23 01:25:39
There are some products, such as cleaning products where I agree completely on this.
Thomas () Newbie | 2007-12-23 02:55:58
being a chemical engineer - i've got mixed views - most consumer chemicals are pretty safe - if used correctly and if the manufacturers instructions and warnings are followed -
of course nobody ever reads instructions so that is the first problem - a second problem is that we just don't know the long term effects of many chemicals in common use - even in small or trace amounts, over a period of many years these "could" have an impact on "some" people - its just so much of an unknown - so all i can say is treat all chemicals with the utmost respect, read the instructions and follow them
Raz () Newbie | 2007-12-23 03:01:13
http://www.engcom.net/engineering/view/1646/1/
this links back to an article sort of dealing with this subject - chemicals and their use, tho this is more about chemicals in an industrial environment - but the principles are the same - unknown effects of exposure to chemicals - at the time - the claim is "we didn't know" !!
AuntyMay () Newbie | 2007-12-23 03:09:57
we have gone all the way with consumer chemicals and let the good old fashioned "natural" cleaning and "other use" solutions go by the wayside if anybody is interested - theres plenty of advice and natural products out there - vinegar, lemon juice bicarbonate of soda etc all good natural and completely green - i don't have any axe to grind on this sublect - check it out for yourselves
Archie () Newbie | 2007-12-23 03:17:51
the problem with chemicals is that they are just everywhere - even in the beer we drink - nothing is natural anymore - but then go back a few hundred years and where people better off by not having chemicals in their lives -
did they live longer? No -
did they have less sickness? No -
did they have less disease? No -
did they lead happier more contented lives? No, I dont think so and a lot more back breaking scrubbing to try and keep things clean - so whats the big deal?
Si () Newbie | 2007-12-23 03:20:30
there will always be a fringe element out there with nothing better to do than look for problems - all i can say is - tell them to get a real job and do some real work
Tony (166) Newbie | 2007-12-23 18:07:39
yeah - at the end of the day we are all better off with todays products - its just a fact of life that "life" has a risk - getting out of bed has a risk, crossing the road, bending down to put your shoes on can give a slipped disc but the risks today are a lot less than yesterdays risks - we even know that cigarettes are bad for you - doesn't stop a lot of people from smoking them tho'
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Sunday 23 December, 2007 06:05 AM
 
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