Keeping our body, home and surroundings clean are the most basic but significant means to be healthy. To keep ourselves and household clean we have to use several cleaning and grooming agents. Either we are not aware of the effects of these detergents and beauty products we use everyday on our health and environment or we just do not have the choice. The good news is that there are natural, toxin-free and organic alternatives available. I just finished my dishwashing chore and I appreciate those formulators of these non-toxic detergents. I wish to share what I found about the contents of our normal dish washing cleansers we use to keep our pots and pans “spic and span.”
There are many more economical environmentally friendly dish washing detergents than there were just a few years ago, but their level of "greenness" will vary greatly. For example, a detergent may proclaim to be phosphate free, but the other ingredients will read like a laboratory shopping list - so be sure to study the labels before making a purchase decision and beware of greenwashing.
The main ingredient of dishwashing detergents are Phosphates. They are what create the bubbly stuff in your detergent, to help get your dishes clean. In recent years more and more States in the U.S.A banned phosphates because of studies made that proves phosphates are bad for the environment. Environmentalists believe that when phosphates enter the water supply, they block oxygen production which is dangerous for the aquatic flora and fauna that depends on oxygen for survival.
When washing dishes, some residues are left. The residue accumulates with each washing. And food comes into contact with these utensils that picks up part of the residues-which is unknowingly consumed in the process. Dish washing liquids are labeled “harmful when swallowed.” Most contain Naptha, a CNS depressant, diethanolamine, a liver poison, and/or chlorophenylphemol, a toxic metabolic stimulant.Having been aware of the Toxic chemicals that are in our detergents, I searched for an alternative. I found this product which became a necessity in our home for all-around cleaning and even excellent for personal care purposes.
Blue Miracle is a safe, non-toxic, and versatile cleanser. It is a great substitute for commercial detergents being sold in the market today. It preserves the environment and protects us from pollution. Blue Miracle is affordable, practical and convenient to use. It contains no phosphorous, enzymes, fluorescent materials artificial colors, bleaching agent, etc.Read more
Health effects of phosphorus (the main ingredient of Dishwashing detergents)
Phosphorus can be found in the environment most commonly as phosphates. Phosphates are important substances in the human body, because they are a part of DNA materials and they take part in energy distribution. Phosphates can also be found commonly in plants. Phosphate is a dietary requirement, the recommended intake is 800 mg/day, a normal diet provides between 1000 and 2000 mg/day, depending on the extent to which phosphate rich foods are consumed. Humans have changed the natural phosphate supply radically by addition of phosphate-rich manures to the soil and by the use of phosphate-containing detergents. Phosphates were also added to a number of foodstuffs, such as cheese, sausages and hams. Too much phosphate can cause health problems, such as kidney damage and osteoporosis. Phosphate shortages can also occur. These are caused by extensive use of medicine. Too little phosphate can cause health problems. Phosphorus in its pure form has a white colour. White phosphorus is the most dangerous form of phosphorus that is known to us. When white phosphorus occurs in nature this can be a serious danger to our health. White phosphorus is extremely poisonous and in many cases exposure to it will be fatal. In most cases people that died of white phosphorus exposure had been accidentally swallowing rat poison. Before people die from white phosphorus exposure they often experience nausea, stomach cramps and drowsiness. White phosphorus can cause skin burns. While burning, white phosphorus may cause damage to the liver, the heart or the kidneys. |
There are also Environmental effects of phosphorus. For further details go to environmental effects of phosphorous.
