Leadership in Action – AUNZ English – 201811

CHEMICAL CLEANING COMPOUNDS—like cigarettes—have a history of popular use followed by a growing awareness of their harmful and sometimes deadly effects. Chlorine bleach, ammonia, and quaternary disinfectants are only three among many dangerous chemicals lurking in the regular cleaners. About 90% of child poisonings occur in the home. Each year, 180,000 calls are made to Poison Information Centres in Australia with about half of these relating to children. NOW WE KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT CLEANERS WITH CHEMICAL CLEANING COMPOUNDS.

After 20 years of data collection, the results were compiled and analyzed by a team of 28 researchers from 9 countries led by scientists at the University of Bergen in Norway. In March 2018, the study was published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine . And it generated global media attention. While future legislation and warning labels will eventually shift the perception of the masses, you can act now. Dispose of any of your regular cleaners in a responsible manner and switch to EcoSense ® products. Don’t wait. Share what you know with those you care about. It took over half a century for the deadly effects of cigarettes to be fully acknowledged by the general public, by science, and by law. Let’s not wait 50 years to act on the knowledge that chemical cleaning compounds are dangerous to our health! 2018 An independent study concludes that cleaning with chemical cleaning compounds as little as once per week is as damaging over time to respiratory health as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years!

CHLORINE BLEACH 1772 Swedish chemist C. W. Scheeles discovers chlorine, an essential ingredient in modern bleaches. 1913 The Electro-Alkaline Co. (name later changed to Clorox Chemical Company) sells chlorine bleach to institutional users only. 1947 Chlorine bleach starts to get accepted by households. 1997 Estimated 85% of Australian households use chlorine bleach. As usage grows, so do horrifying statistics of child poisonings. The accidental exposure to chlorine bleach is one of the most frequently received calls at Poison Information Centres involving children. AMMONIA This common household cleaner is an acknowledged toxin. Exposure to cleaning products containing ammonia can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, respiratory tract, and skin. QUATERNARY DISINFECTANTS Recent research shows a rise in linking asthma to the use of cleaning products, and one particular ingredient linked with both the onset and increased rates of asthma is quaternary disinfectant compounds. Some also interfere with hormone functions.

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NOVEMBER 2018 | MELALEUCA.COM

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