Toxic Prevention Specialists

Household cleaning products could be dangerous to health.

Transcript:
Ñ >> how toxic is your home? it may be more dangerous than you think. from cleaners to carbon monoxide knocks side, we see what you need to know in tonight’s cover story. household toxins. >> how is your eye after you wash it? >> at the maryland poison control center, pharmacists answer question after question from concerned callers. everything from exposure to chemicals. >> what kind of drops did you use? >> to the possible dangers of drugs. >> that’s the name of it. >> most often the callers have come in contact with something around the home that made them sick. >> a lot of cleaning products. over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. house plants. pesticides. >> hundreds of chemicals can be found in most homes. some of the most common can be scary but not that harmful. even to kids. >> regular old soap is available to kids. and they get into it and eat it and they have bubbles coming out of their mouth and it is disgusting but not toxic >> others are more serious >> small amounts of exposures to products like ethylene gly co, the ingredient in ant freeze can be toxic >> rember the toy recalls last year? thousands of play things found to have lead in them or paint on them. pulled from store shelves because even a little lead is a big worry for kids. >> so there are a lot of things that people don’t even realize is toxic in the home. >> a lot of toxins found under the sink. products containg ammonia and bleach that when mixed even in small amounts, create poisonous fumes >> they will come down and settle on a trap and that’s where they sit. >> as a plumber he comes in contact with al sorts of caustic chemicals from solvents that customers dump down the drain >> that can burn through your clothes into the skin >> employees for this heating and plumbing company run into another toxin, gas so dangerous it could be deadly and you may never know it is in your home. >> we cannot taste it, you cannot smell it. you cannot see it. and it is poison. >> he is talking about carbon monoxide knocks side. big concern in cold weather. this winter alone one business in baltimore and a few homes had to be evacuated after people got sick from inhaling it. >> so they take along a carbon monoxide knocks side detector every time they service a water heater in a home. carbon monoxide can escape when a appliance malfunctions through a loose part or fire. so it is important to keep things far away from the flames. >> sometimes you will find clothes stacked around your furnace. papers, people stick papers on there >> and keep the appliances clean >> this furnace has not been mind. so you have a lot of dust and debris build up >> fire hazard >> to help prevent the danger, every home should have a carbon monoxide detector and keeps chemicals away from kids and you cannot mistake them for something safe. >> carbon monoxide in any amount, above 20 parts per million is unhealthy.