EAST SIDE FIRE DEPARTMENT
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Household Hazardous Materials
Many people don't realize it but there are a lot of common household
items that are considered to be hazardous materials.
These include medications, paint, motor oil, antifreeze, auto batteries,
lawn care products, pest control products, drain
cleaners, pool care products such as chlorine and acids, and household
cleaners. Some household cleaners may be harmful separately or when
combined such as ammonia and bleach.
Arts and Crafts
Many people engage in some form of art or craft as a vocation or hobby.
While art is a creative, individualistic pursuit, the
materials used may pose a risk to individual health and the environment.
Knowledge about the materials and processes is the best protection
against the major and minor health effects of the art or craft.
A wide range of health effects are linked to materials used in the arts
and crafts, depending on the substance, the dose, the
duration of exposure, and the susceptibility of the person exposed. Many
solvents affect the central nervous system and are
skin and eye irritants. Most are flammable; many are linked to long-term
adverse health effects such as liver damage.
Several are known or suspected carcinogens such as benzene and toluene.
Dusts/fibers are eye and respiratory irritants, and may aggravate
asthma and provoke allergies. Specific hazards:
silica in clay dust causes lung disease over years of exposure;
talc (white clays) may be contaminated with asbestos a known carcinogen;
some hardwood dusts lead to nasal and sinus cancers in woodworkers.
Heavy metals are hazardous both as
dusts and as fumes. Lead
affects the nerves, digestive system, muscles and joints.
Arsenic, cadmium and chromium are known
carcinogens. Mercury,
copper, cobalt, silver, manganese, selenium and zinc are all acutely toxic.
Acids are corrosive to skin and
eyes. Acid vapors are
irritating to the lungs and inhalation of small amounts may damage lung
tissue. Concentrated acids can react with many other materials.
Gases generated from kilns, welding
or sculpting with plastics
are acutely toxic; some may lead to long-term lung damage with repeated exposure.
Basic Safety Rules
1. Know the hazards of the materials you're working with. Read the
labels, request material safety data sheets (MSDS) on new products, know
what precautions, safety gear and clean up procedures are advised. When
buying arts and crafts materials look for these key words or symbols:
Non-toxic - item will not cause
immediate poisoning.
AP - approved product; item does
not contain sufficient
quantities of a material to be toxic or harmful to the body, even if
eaten or swallowed.
CP - certified product; meets AP
standards as well as
standards for product quality, color, etc. Be especially cautious using
discarded materials such as wood (what chemicals might it be treated
with?) or scrap metal (what alloy is it?).
2. Use the safest materials and procedures possible. Stay current on
the new developments in your art or craft. Safer, less-toxic
alternatives are being devised for many activities.
3. Use good ventilation at all times. Local exhaust is the best, such
as a hood or spray booth that vents to the outside. Next best is to use
exhaust fans that pull the contaminated air away from you and exhaust it
outside (an air-conditioning system is not adequate, since it
re-circulates most of the air). An open window usually does not provide
adequate ventilation; toxins may be blown back into your face.
4. Use good hygiene and good housekeeping habits. Separate work
and
living areas; avoid eating, drinking or smoking in the work area; don't
store materials in food containers; and wash and change clothes after
working. Wet mop or vacuum for cleanup of dusts.
5. Special precautions are needed for
children's art. In general,
children over the age of 12 can understand and consistently follow
safety instructions for the more toxic materials; younger children
cannot and should use only the safest materials.
Pesticides / Herbicides
Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill rodents and insects.
Herbicides are used to kill plants and micro-organisms. They
can injure or potentially kill people by inhalation, ingestion and
absorption through the skin. Exposure can affect the
respiratory and nervous systems, and cause skin and organ damage. If
improperly used, these chemicals can also injure or kill plants or
animals that are not intended to be controlled. Certain pesticides that
don't readily break down can accumulate in the food chain.
Unless otherwise directed, don't water an area immediately after
applying these chemicals to it. This might cause them to
run off with the extra water into a storm sewer or stream. Don't throw
pesticides or herbicides in the trash, or pour them on
the ground or down a drain. Don't burn or bury them either. These
methods of disposal can pollute groundwater, lakes, rivers, and water supplies.
The best way to get rid of these chemicals is to use them up unless they
are banned. When mixing these chemicals, follow
the directions on the label. Read the label to determine if protective
clothing such as wraparound goggles, gloves or a respirator are needed.
When finished, wash protective clothing separately from other laundry in hot water.
If you can't use the chemicals, see if friends, neighbors, greenhouse,
or city park departments need them. Don't give away pesticides or
herbicides that are banned, damaged, or unlabeled.
After using all the pesticide or herbicide from a container wash it
three times and use the rinse water as pesticides. Throw the rinsed-out
container in the trash. Don't burn or reuse old containers.
Safely store pesticides in their original container. Protect the label
and make sure the word DANGER appears on the container.
If the chemical is flammable, keep it away from heat, flames, and spark
sources. Also, store it where it won't freeze. Always store chemicals
out of the reach of children.
Before purchasing a pesticide or herbicide, make sure you need one.
Contact the local agricultural extension service for
information on when to use pesticides/herbicides. If you need to use
these chemicals, buy only the amount you need. Try using up leftover
pesticides/herbicides before purchasing more.
Automobiles
Automobiles consume vast quantities of gasoline, motor oil, antifreeze,
car batteries, degreasing agents, windshield washing
fluid, car waxes, and cleaners. While most of these products are
necessary for proper operation and maintenance, they are all toxic.
Any oil that has been refined from crude oil and has been used is "used
oil." The term "used oil" also applies to any oil that is
no longer useful to the original purchaser as a consequence of extended
storage, spillage or contamination with non-hazardous
impurities such as dirt and water. Used oil is a hazardous waste. The
hazards associated with used oil result from the various additives used
in its manufacture and from the heavy metal contaminants picked up from
use in the internal combustion engine.
Oil poured down household drains or directly onto the ground can reach
the lakes, rivers and ground water. It can pollute the
groundwater with contaminants such as lead, magnesium, copper, zinc,
chromium, arsenic, chlorides, cadmium and
polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs). One quart of oil can pollute 250,000
gallons of drinking water.
Used oil is recyclable. Two and one half quarts of lubricating oil is
gained by re-refining one gallon of used oil. You can
participate in oil recycling by draining the used oil into a clean
container with a tight fitting cap. Do not mix the recovered oil with
any other liquid and make sure the oil is free from dirt, leaves and
other debris. Many auto parts stores will accept your oil for recycling.
Check the Yellow Pages or contact stores such as Jiffy Lube or Auto Zone
for used motor oil recycling.
Automobiles use lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid batteries contain lead
and sulfuric acid. The lead can contaminate water and
the acid can burn skin. These batteries have approximately 18 pounds of
toxic metals and a gallon of corrosive acids.
If lead-acid batteries are improperly disposed of, such as dumped in a
non-hazardous landfill or an empty field, the lead and
sulfuric acid can seep into the ground, contaminating the environment
and ground-water supply. Damaged, leaking batteries
improperly disposed of in the regular trash also pose a danger to refuse
collectors who can come in direct contact with sulfuric acid. They are
also a fire hazard.
Symptoms of severe lead poisoning include coma, convulsions,
irreversible mental retardation, seizures and even death. Even low
levels of lead exposure can result in fatigue, impaired central nervous
system functions and impaired hearing.
Lead-acid batteries are recyclable. Many places that sell batteries will
take the battery. Also some garages and scrap metal
dealers will take the battery. If you have a used battery at home, store
it safely until you can take it somewhere to recycle.
For safe storage, keep the battery in a dry place inside or a lead-proof
container outside. Store batteries out of the reach of children and pets.
Nationwide, 70 percent of spent lead-acid batteries are recycled. After
the lead is separated from the non-metallic components of the battery,
it then is smelted to produce soft lead and lead alloys. Most of these
lead products are used to make new lead-acid batteries.
Antifreeze is made up mainly of water and ethylene glycol and added to
the radiator water in a car to lower the freezing
point and raise the boiling point of radiator fluid. In other words, it
keeps the water from freezing on very cold days and boiling over on hot days.
Auto maintenance experts recommend that radiators should be flushed
every one to two years. This presents a question of
what to do with the radiator fluid. You have to be careful not only to
store new antifreeze safely, but also to dispose of used antifreeze properly.
Because ethylene glycol is a clear, colorless and sweet-tasting liquid,
it is very attractive to pets and small children. Pets will
lap up an antifreeze puddle because it tastes sweet. Young children are
also at risk. If swallowed, ethylene glycol may cause depression,
followed by respiratory and cardiac failure, renal and brain damage. It is often fatal.
Antifreeze that is carelessly disposed of, such as poured into a storm
drain or ditch, a river or stream, onto the ground, or into the trash,
presents a health threat to humans, animals and the environment.
Flush antifreeze down the toilet or sink with plenty of water if your
house connects to a sanitary sewer system. The sewage
treatment plant will break down hazardous chemicals in antifreeze. Used
antifreeze can be recycled for use by the mining
industry (sprayed on coal to keep it from sticking together) and the
glycol industry (used for airplane de-icing solution). It also is used
in cement grinding and brake fluid.
Gasoline is toxic and extremely flammable, and never should be used as a
cleanser. Always store gasoline in a cool, well-vented area away from
electrical sources. Gasoline should be kept only in a metal,
stopper-topped container made specifically for gasoline.
Cleansers
Some chemicals in cleansers may be hazardous to your health during
routine use even though exposure is only to small amounts in the air or
on your skin. You can reduce the risk to your health by avoiding
products containing toxic chemicals. Or, if you must use toxic
chemicals, be sure to follow the manufacturers' directions.
Organic solvents affect the central nervous system, liver and kidneys.
Many are flammable and a few are suspected
carcinogens. Petroleum distillates in polishes and sprays,
perchloroethylene in spot removers, mineral spirits in paint thinner and
p-dichlorobenzene in mothballs are all examples of organic solvents.
Strong acids or bases are corrosive to skin, eyes and mucous membranes,
and can react with other household chemicals.
Acids are found in tub, tile and toilet cleaners and in rust removers.
Lye in oven cleaners and hypochlorites in chlorine bleach are examples
of high-pH corrosive substances.
Phenols and alcohol are poisonous and flammable chemicals and active
ingredients in most disinfectant products.
Although not highly toxic, synthetic detergents are the household
chemicals most frequently ingested by children. "Real" soaps made from
animal fat or vegetable oil are less toxic.
Cleansers also may contain added dyes, perfumes, fillers, aerosol
propellants, and traces of ammonia and formaldehyde. Keep in mind that
hazardous wastes are produced in manufacturing all the different
chemicals contained in these elaborate formulas. They generate waste
problems even before you buy them.
Paint
Leftover oil or solvent-based paint is a hazardous waste. Toxic,
dangerous chemicals used in the production of oil-based
paint can pose serious threats to human health and the natural
environment if handled or disposed of improperly.
A Johns Hopkins University study found 300 toxic chemicals and 150
carcinogens that may be present in paint. Hazardous chemicals can be
found in each of the four basic components that make up oil-based paint:
resins, solvents, pigments and additives.
Resins that cover the surface may contain ethylene, which may cause
headaches, dizziness and loss of consciousness.
Ethylene also is flammable and can be toxic to aquatic wildlife.
Urethane alkyds, which cause nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness, also may be present.
Solvents that keep the resin liquefied contain aromatic hydrocarbons
such as mineral spirits and toluene. Mineral spirits can be a skin, eye,
nose, throat and lung irritant, as well as flammable. Very high air
concentration may cause unconsciousness and death. Toluene may irritate
the eyes, respiratory tract and skin. Acute exposure results in central
nervous system depression.
Pigments that provide the color may contain heavy metals such as cadmium
and chromium. Cadmium irritates the respiratory
tract while chromium is an eye and skin irritant. Pigments also may be
made with zinc oxide, which can cause flu-like symptoms.
Additives, such as thickeners and fungicides, may contain heavy metals
such as mercury compounds, which can irritate the skin and mucous membranes.
If oil-based paint is thrown into the trash and ends up in a sanitary
landfill, there is the potential health hazard of the
chemicals seeping into the groundwater and possibly being consumed by
animals or people. In addition, since oil-based paint is flammable,
refuse workers may be injured and equipment may be damaged during trash collection.
If you must use oil-based paint, buy only the quantity needed. Measure
the space you wish to paint and ask for help from the retailer to
purchase the right amount.
Reuse or recycle leftover paint by giving it to someone who can use it,
such as a neighbor or friend, theater group, school, or other community organization.
If possible, use latex or water-based paint instead because they are
made up of less hazardous ingredients. Latex paint is easy to apply and
can be cleaned with soap and water. Latex paint also is less harmful to
the environment than oil-based paint, which contains more hazardous ingredients.
Definitions:
Corrosive: A chemical, (solid, liquid or gas), that can cause
destructive damage to body tissues at the site of contact. It can cause
severe burns to the skin and can "eat through" clothing, metal and other
materials.
Flammable: Can be ignited at almost any temperature. Spontaneously react with oxides.
Irritant: Causes soreness or inflammation of the skin, eyes, mucous
membranes or respiratory system.
Oxidizer: An unstable chemical that can spontaneously react with
flammables and releases oxygen.
Toxic: May cause injury or death upon ingestion (eating/drinking),
absorption (touching) or inhalation (breathing into lungs).
If you have a question about any Hazardous Material or a question on how
to dispose of any Hazardous Material call DEQ at (225) 342-1234.