Reproductive Harm & Household Cleaning Products
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Glycol ethers, such as 2-butoxyethanol, are solvents commonly found in glass cleaners and all-purpose spray cleaners and have been associated with low birth weight in exposed mice.
Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) are surfactants found in laundry detergents, stain removers, and all-purpose cleaners, which have been found to reduce embryo survival in fish and alter tadpole development.
Phthalates are carriers for fragrance in glass cleaners, deodorizers, laundry detergents and fabric softeners, and are linked to adverse effects on male children, reduced sperm count in adult men, and increased allergic symptoms and asthma in children.
Studies suggest using precaution may protect the next generation
Sometimes the effects of chemical exposure are not seen until the next generation. Many scientists now believe that chemical exposure, even at very low levels, can have adverse impacts on the reproductive system. When a pregnant mother is exposed to chemicals, this exposure can also impact the developing child and lead to developmental effects, such as birth defects, low birth weight, impacts on cognitive development or other harmful outcomes. Research has shown the following:
- Pregnant women exposed to glycol ethers in their work environments were significantly more likely to have children with birth defects such as neural tube defects and cleft lip.[i]
- A California study measured actual emissions of glycol ethers and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under normal home cleaning conditions.[ii] The research suggests that potential exposures to VOCs such as glycol ethers like 2-butoxyethanol from home cleaning can be high enough to exceed threshold safety levels established for industrial settings. In particular, potentially dangerous levels of these chemicals were seen in smaller, poorly ventilated rooms (such as a bathroom), where floor cleaners were used in combination with air fresheners.
Most of the research on reproductive harm and chemicals in cleaning products has been conducted in the laboratory and does not involve human testing due to both practical and ethical considerations. Yet, effects on animals may hold answers for humans.
- Studies on laboratory mice found reduced fertility among female mice exposed to 2-butoxyethanol, and lower birth weight in their offspring.[iii]
- In laboratory studies, offspring of rats exposed to 2-(2-Methoxyethoxy) ethanol developed various birth defects including malformations of the ribs and cardiovascular system.[iv]
- Nonylphenol (NP) is a breakdown product of NPEs which is known to mimic the hormone estrogen and impact the production of testosterone, both of which can have numerous reproductive and other health impacts.[v] In female rats, exposure to NP delayed the onset of puberty and altered fertility. In male rats, octylphenol and octylphenol ethoxylate decreased testicular size and sperm production.[vi]
- Both octylphenol and nonylphenol stimulated the growth of human estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells; and octylphenol was found to be ten times as potent as nonylphenol in generating this effect.[vii]
- A significant concern around the use of APEs centers around their impact on wildlife, particularly in aquatic ecosystems. The United States Geological Survey found breakdown products of laundry detergents in 70% of North American streams. These chemicals can cause harm to fish, frogs, turtles and other aquatic life. Studies have shown that even low-level exposure has reduced the number of fertilized trout eggs and caused reduced embryo survival and abnormal embryos in another fish, the Japanese Medaka.
Download WVE's Fact Sheet: Reproductive Harm and Household Cleaning Products (pdf)
What You Can Do A list of resources to help you protect the health of your family
Take Action! Demand that companies label their products and take harmful chemicals out of their cleaners
Read Household Hazards, WVE’s report on the potential hazards of chemicals in cleaning products
Return to the main cleaning products campaign page
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Sources
[i] Cordier, et al. (1997). Congenital malformation and maternal occupational exposure
to glycol ethers. Epidemiology. 1997 Jul;8(4):355-63
[ii] Nazaroff, W. et al. (2006). Indoor Air Chemistry: Cleaning Agents, Ozone and Toxic Air Contaminants, April 2006, prepared for the California Air Resources Board. Available at: www.arb.ca.gov/research/abstracts/01-336.htm
[iii] Lamb et al (1997) Ethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether. Environmental Health Perspectives Supplements Volume 105, Number S1, February 1997. Available at: www.ehponline.org/members/1997/Suppl-1/cas762.html
[iv] Hardin, B. D., Goad, P. T., AND Burg, J. R. (1986). Developmental Toxicity of Diethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether (diEGME). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 6, 430–439.
[v] Gong, Y, and Han XD. (2006) Effect of nonylphenol on steroidoogenesis of rat Leydig cells. J Environ Sci Health B. 2006. 41(5): 705-715.
[vi] Dickey, P. (1997). Troubling Bubbles: The Case for Replacing Alkyl Phenol Ethoxylate Surfactants (APEs), Phil Dickey, Washington Toxics Coalition, 1997; An Environmental Assessment of Alkyl Phenol Ethoxylates and AlkylPhenols. A. Michael Warhurst, Friends of the Earth, United Kingdom, 1995
[vii] Dickey (1997), Ibid.
WVE in the Washington Post