Everything we put down the drain ends up on our watershed and as such, every item that is washed down the sink, flushed down the toilet, dumped down a storm drain, or even placed in our garbage receptacles can affect the health of the people, land, plants, animals, and water quality in and around Long Island Sound.

   So, when you toss out the chlorine and water mixture you used as a disinfectant, it can wind up in the Sound harming the marine life, but keep in mind it could have affected the health of you and your family first!

   So how do these cleansers we use everyday affect the water quality of the Sound?

    Have you ever noticed that when you walk down the household cleanser isle in the grocery store your eyes begin to burn, or your nose becomes irritated? This is because these household cleansers contain hazardous toxins that are fatal to your nervous system, kidneys, liver, lungs and eyes. These cleansers, even while stored, can affect the air quality in your home.

   Most commercial household cleansers are chemically based, meaning that they contain hazardous substances that are not only harmful to the natural environment, but to humans and animals. The three primary ways household hazardous products impact our health and the environment are through their manufacture, usage, and disposal. When one purchases a hazardous product for the home, it creates a market for these toxic chemicals. This in turn leads to the further development, manufacture and transportation of these chemicals. This process in and of itself has the potential to result in harmful effects, and this is before you ever open the container. Once we open the container to use the substance, the vapors released and the water contaminated can have an unhealthy effect on humans, marine life and water and air quality. Long after the need to use that cleansing agent, these products still have lasting effects. Once disposed of, they “release chemicals into the ground and wastewater stream which may contaminate our groundwater and present a problem to wastewater treatment facilities. Most often hazardous products are not disposed of properly and are landfilled or incinerated where they release their toxins to the environment.”

   Substances dumped down drains and toilets within the home filter through septic systems or sewage treatment facilities. Many substances are broken down through this process and remain relatively safe for the natural environment. Chemical household cleansers on the other hand, do not breakdown and are discharged onto the watershed and thus, into the Sound. This discharge, containing organic chemicals, can damage water quality while harming plant and animal life. When, not if, these chemicals reach our streams, rivers, and lakes, they can kill or cause chronic problems, such as cancers, lesions, and infertility in aquatic wildlife. “Hazardous household cleansers can disrupt the natural biological processes taking place in a septic system. In addition, not all of the toxins in sewage hauled from a holding tank or flushed down the toilet into a sewer system will be removed at a sewage treatment facility. Proper disposal can minimize the amount of contaminants reaching our rivers, lakes, streams, and groundwater.” Every amount of hazardous material that is disposed of properly is another step closer to a cleaner environment.

   So what is one to do?

    ALTERNATIVES TO HOUSEHOLD CLEANSERS

   Although, chemical based household cleansers are harmful to human, animal and environmental health, there are ways to keep a house clean without the use of these harmful toxic substances. The fact is, commercial, name brand, chemical-based household cleansers have only been around for about fifty years. Despite the fact that these cleansers have only been around for a short time, home cleaning has been around much longer. Simple, less toxic, cost-effective, common household substances have been used as cleansers long before chemical-based cleansers were produced. Some of these non-toxic, cost-effective alternatives include: vinegar, borax, salt, herbs, olive oil, cornstarch, lemon juice and baking soda. These substances have proven to be effective, safer for humans, pets, and the environment. 

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