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Effects of Chemicals on the Environment Essay

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The effects from chemicals , detergents and soaps have been linked to breast cancer. The chemicals used in everyday cleaning products have been linked to breast cancer, fertility problems, hormone disruption, asthma and other serious health problems. Many of these products are made with dangerous chemicals that have the potential to disrupt the endocrine system, also known as the hormone system. This system is responsible for the brain, development of the nervous system, reproduction, metabolism, and blood sugar. The problem arises with chemicals called endocrine disruptors. (Moran, 2009).They mimic hormones, attach to receptors and cause cell division as well as alter gene expression and other harmful changes. …show more content…

He believes less than half of new breast cancer cases can be related to lifestyle factors which includes drinking alcohol, being overweight and taking hormones, or family history of breast cancer.(Hall,2006) During a recent study conducted by the University of Washington some of the top selling laundry products have tested to have at least one toxic chemical regulated under federal laws and guidelines. However, out of the products used in this study there were about 100 volatile organic compounds emitted from these and none were listed on the labels. Also most of the products gave out at least one or more carcinogenic hazardous air pollutant which is considered to have no safe exposure level according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (ScienceDaily, 2008) These are everyday products we use in our homes to make them smell fresh and what we use to clean our clothes. But the names of these products were not disclosed, because manufacturers are not required to disclose the ingredients. The products included three common air fresheners ( a solid deodorizer disk, a liquid spray, and a plug-in oil) three laundry products( a dryer sheet, fabric softener and a detergent, all of which were selected from top sellers on the market.(ScienceDaily,2008)Fragrances can be deceiving, just because they smell good doesn’t mean they are good. In the laboratory each product was isolated and analyzed for volatile organic compounds, small molecules that evaporate

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