(cest2017_00586) The occurrence of 'red' substances in 'green' household products: A preliminary investigation

摘要

During the last decades, a vast number of synthetic organic substances, proved to be toxic for the environment and human health, have been included in almost every single product used in our everyday life, from cosmetics and detergents to baby care products. The green chemistry sector, trying to cope with this problem, introduced less toxic products, more friendly to the environment, with minimized toxic substances use. Many of these products today are being used by consumers and are labeled as natural products. However is this true in all cases? The present paper aims to highlight the "red" substances problem in "green" household products. Initially a literature review was performed to determine the most common categories of substances in household products. A preliminary investigation followed, by selecting representative products from different categories of household products, labeled as natural, and analyzing their ingredients according to their toxicity via relevant databases available online. The results revealed that most "green" products we use daily, actually include more "red" substances than we think they do...