Top 12 Cancer Causing Products in the Average Home

Among many other cancer causing products commonly found in the home, this dirty dozen list has made it to the Hall of Shame. The Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC) and Ralph Nader have released a "Dirty Dozen" list of consumer products used in most American homes, and manufactured by giant U.S. corporations. 

The "Dirty Dozen" products contain a wide-range of carcinogenic and other toxic ingredients and contaminants to which most of us are exposed daily. 

(Manufacturer claims to have reduced silica levels since 1993.)

7. Zud Heavy Duty Cleanser (Reckitt & Colman. Inc.)

Unlabeled Toxic Ingredient:CRYSTALLINE SILICA, Carcinogenic; eye, skin and lung irritant. (Carcinogenicity is denied in Material Safety and Data Sheet.)

8. Lysol Disinfectant Spray (Reckitt & Colman. Inc.)

Labeled or Unlabeled Toxic Ingredient: ORTHOPHENYLPHENOL (OPP): Carcinogenic; irritant. (Carcinogenicity is denied in Material Safety and Data Sheet.)

9. Zodiac Cat & Dog Flea Collar (Sandoz Agro. Inc).

11. Beef Frankfurters – (eg. Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation)

Unlabeled Toxic Ingredients  BENZENE HEXACHLORIDE, Carcinogenic.DACTHAL, Carcinogenic (can be contaminated with dioxin); irritant; strong sensitizer. DIELDRIN, Carcinogenic; xenoestrogen.DDT, Carcinogenic; xenoestrogen.HEPTACHLOR, Carcinogenic; neurotoxic; reproductive toxin; xenoestrogen.HEXACHLOROBENZENE, Carcinogenic; neurotoxic; teratogenic.LINDANE, Carcinogenic; neurotoxic; damage to blood forming cells.HORMONES: Carcinogenic and  feminizing.ANTIBIOTICS: Some are carcinogenic, cause allergies and drug resistance.Labeled IngredientNITRITE, Interacts with meat amines to form carcinogenic nitrosamines which are a major risk factor for childhood cancers.

12. Whole Milk – (eg. Borden or Lucerne)

Unlabeled Toxic Ingredients DDT, Carcinogenic; xenoestrogen.DIELDRIN, Carcinogenic; xenoestrogen.HEPTACHLOR, Carcinogenic; neurotoxic; reproductive toxin; xenoestrogen.HEXACHLOROBENZENE, Carcinogenic; neurotoxic; reproductive toxin. ANTIBIOTICS: Some are carcinogenic, cause allergies and drug resistance. RECOMBINANT BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE and IGF-1: Also, risk factor for breast, colon and prostate cancers.

Safer Alternative:  rBGH-free Organic skim milk

Most Brand-Name Laundry Detergents

Loaded with extremely toxic chemicals that could harm you, your family and the environment. Residues of these chemicals are left on your clothes and are absorbed by your skin and evaporated into the air where they could be breathed in. Most would be surprised to find that even ‘Green’ labeled detergents contain toxic ingredients. 

Know the truth about Detergent

Unlabeled Toxic Ingredients Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS) or ‘anionic surfactants’, carcinogenic, reproductive toxins

“What is particularly galling about the “Dirty Dozen”, emphasized Ralph Nader, “is that these toxic chemicals don’t have to be there. Yet these corporations continue to expose people to health hazards unnecessarily”. 

Current product labeling provides no warning for cancer and other chronic health risks. Food is labeled for cholesterol, but not for carcinogens. Cosmetics are labeled for major ingredients, but not for those that form carcinogens or contain carcinogenic contaminants. Except for pesticides, household products contain no information on their ingredients.

Cancer rates are skyrocketing. Currently, more than one-third of all of us will develop cancer in our lifetime, and one-fourth will die from the disease. Many cancers are due to avoidable exposures to industrial carcinogens in the food we eat, and the cosmetics and household products we use.

Hopefully this has gotten the message across that just because these products sit on store shelves, do not guarantee it’s safe to use. These are 12 of the thousands of products that have not been tested alone or in conjunction. We’d like to add one more to this product hall-of-shame.