In reviewing your household items: 

• Were you surprised to find out the toxicity rating of your household products?
  • For the Ajax Dish Soap: seeing the powder form may cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled scared me. For someone who lives with asthma and loves doing dishes I might have to re-consider what soap I use and how often I wash dishes.
  • Clorox Disinfecting Wipes: this product had no significant health impacts other than possible minor skin irritation.
• Did you decide to change any of your consumer behaviors based on your findings?
  • I never really thought about the impacts of potential products while cleaning that can influence my asthma. Now I wonder, the potential impacts as a young kid in high school who cleaned houses for a living, I am sure I took any many chemicals from all the various household cleaning products we would use.
• Should everyone know about these risks and why don’t they?
  • Yes, everyone should know about these risks and furthermore those that willing sell harmful products should be held accountable. I do think all the blame is with the individual (consumer) and we are told everything in moderation you’’ll be fine, but what about lifetime accumulation??

Products reviewed:

Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera 100% Gel

Men’s Degree Dry Spray Antiperspirant

In reviewing your personal care products:

• Were you surprised to find out the toxicity rating of your personal care products?
  • I was not surprised by the Aloe Vera as that should be pretty much derived from natural plant-based ingredients. Although, there were some high ingredient concerns impacting lungs, eyes and skin…
    • This product ranked a 3 out of 10 on the EWG scores.
  • The Degree Antiperspirant I figured would test higher and received a 6 out of 10 on the EWG scores. I have elders in my family that would always say, “that stuff is going to give you cancer mijo”, I just never really believed that hype. Now I am starting to consider what my elders have said.
    • This product had a lot more items under the ingredient high concern list and Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Persistence and bioaccumulation.  
• Did you decide to change any of your consumer behaviors based on your findings?
  • Until I can find a whole bunch of Aloe plants and create a process for extraction, I will continue to use the Aloe Vera by Fruit of the Earth with more caution (specifically not to ingest or get into the eyes).
  • I believe for the Antiperspirant, what I can do here is find a product that is healthier and still allows me to keep the hygiene to tolerable. Most of the elders in my family have used natural remedies and products produced by Dr. Bronner’s.   
• Should everyone know about these risks and why don’t they?
  • All individuals (consumers and producers) need to know about the health risks associated with the manufacturing/consumption of products. Unfortunately, large corporations are typically about profit and not overall consumer health.

Side note:

I didn’t know about this website and now have it bookmarked! Thanks!  

Question: Did you understand why all of the questions on the Assessment tool pointed to an environmental health risk?

My response: I must admit I was lost on a couple of the questions like the ones regarding randon. I never really considered all the potential environmental health risks in my own living space. This was my first time seeing and using the Environmental Health Home Assessment. I am reminded again why tools are so important in the field of public health. 

Question: Did you discover any environmental risks in your home by completing the home assessment?

My response: Yes, the furnace has never worked, the paint is quite old, and not sure what other possible issues are present. Now I am thinking more about it and there is some mold issues and potential lead issues as well being when this place was built (never fully reinvented to my knowledge).   

Question: Did anything surprise you?

My response: Yes, unfortunately after a quick search I found out this apartment community was built in 1964. It is very concerning after learning the year lead-based paint was banned for use in homes. Now I have so many questions for my landlord but will most likely move when appropriate rather than do the back in forth. If I had more control over my living quarters things would be a lot different and this type of assessment put a lot in perspective for the simple fact I do not think the current landlord has the best interest of the people and could care less about the environment.

• In the home assessment, why did we want to know about the age of your home?
  • To know if the house was built prior to the banning of lead in paint used for homes.
• Why would we want to know if someone lives in the basement?
  • Because of the potential risk of mold and other the type of environment that breads fungus.
• Who is responsible for home-based environmental health risks?
  • I would say the Local Public Health Department, but in reality, a lot falls on the homeowner/renter to be more knowledgeable about toxic products and other home-based environmental health risks. What I liked about this is the more an individual knows about toxic contaminants we can advocate for laws to prevent housing in toxic environments known to have high levels of pollution.