One of the key points made by the author focused on the relationship between lifestyle and poor health choices as being a major factor leading to heart disease.  Part of the poor choices relates to the types and quantities of food we eat and the manner in which it can impact our health.

Fast Food = Bad and Regular Food = Good, right?

Though no one questions the potential health threat associated with eating processed foods, especially fast foods; what about the fruits, veggies, poultry and meat produced on factory farms or derived from genetically modified or altered organisms?

Organizations such as the National Academy of Sciences, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have already started to assess these problems due to higher risk of allergic reactions and lower nutritional values with food from these sources.  It will be interesting hear about the findings of these organizations.

In the meantime, two questions arose as I pondered the nature of these food sources and their potential health impacts:

• If man deliberately alters the genetic code to create a new organism for a given purpose (higher yield, more resistant, flavor, etc.), can this new organism really be considered natural?  Part of the reason this question instantly popped in my mind pertains to my background in geology.  The most basic type of Earth material is a mineral which by definition must be natural thus created via the Earth’s natural processes.  If we create a pseudo-mineral in the lab, it is not considered a true mineral.  From my perspective, if we genetically alter an organism for a specific purpose, we have effectively done the same thing and therefore that organism (or food) should not be considered natural!
• How long will it be before a new type of food processing facility pops up with a catchy marketing slogan like you see below!

Soylent Green Anyone?

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What is Soylent Green?

Now there is some … “food for thought”

One problem we often encounter when researching both the chemicals in household products as well as the health risks associated with chemical exposure is accessing meaningful and accurate information.

It maybe easy to find information on the “Net” via a search engine like Google but the information identified is often at best …  questionable.

Answering the Quality Information Need: NLM/NIH ToxNet

Two previous blog posts addressed some of the information sources that can be used to identify the health risks or chemicals in household products (Household Products Database and MSDS sheets).

One note of caution: remember to seek out the chemical exposure concentrations associated with a given health effect when researching information. It is usually a key factor related to the nature of the effect.

The video tutorial below provides a basic introduction to the National Library of Medicine (NIH) ToxNet database web portal and how to quickly access both the Household Products Database (basic health risks of household products) and Hazardous Substances Data Bank (health risks of chemicals in products):

You will notice several other databases and information sources such as the environmental health and toxicology resources pointed out as the video closes.

Bottom line: There is a wealth of health and toxicological data available from the numerous databases accessible from the ToxNet portal and the information will prove to be as or more reliable than most sources identified via a general web search.

Ever wonder what the source of the pungent odor emanating from your workshop bench or shelves was and whether they were safe household products?

Are all these materials made from perfectly safe chemicals or are there reasons to be concerned?

Is it possible the sweet odor coming from chemicals in household products is actually a possible health threat to you or your family?

Many of us often have questions about the various cleaning, landscape, maintenance and even craft products we routinely use around our home or workplace.  Finding a source of pertinent chemical safety information about specific products is usually time consuming, difficult and the results are often suspect.

Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have compiled health and safety information on over 4,000 products used in the household and workplace.  The Household Products Database is provided in digital form and is available on the Internet via the HHS website.

Direct access to the Household Products Database can be obtained by clicking on the image of the web site’s home page below:

Clickable Image of Household Products Database Website

Information provided in the database is relatively straightforward and easy to understand plus there are links to more detailed data via HSS/NIH technical compilations about toxicology, chemical hazards and a variety of other themes.

Though the original databases were originally designed for scientists, medical professionals and other interested technical parties, the Household Products Database was designed to also provide useful information to the general public. As indicated on the database’s home page image above, the database structure is sub-divided first by product category.

Once a specific category is selected, the database is further sub-divided into different use classifications and then specific products are identified by brand and product name where fairly detailed information about chemical safety information for each product is listed.

The HHS/NIH Household Product Database website provides a web portal where questions such as the following can be answered:

• Who are the manufacturers for the different brands and how might they be contacted?
• Do the products you normally use contain chemicals you should worry about?
• What chemicals are present in the brand you use and how much of each are present?
• What are the potential health effects of the chemicals in household products?
• How safe are the chemicals present in household products?
• What actions are recommended if someone is inappropriately exposed to the chemicals in a product?

And so forth …

Much of the initial information provided in the Household Products Database was compiled from information and data provide by the manufacturer or their representative in the form of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).  If more detailed information is desired about the chemicals listed in the search results, additional links to more technically detailed databases (often compiled from sources other than the manufacturer) are also provided.

If you would like more information about the Household Products Database or the other information sources accessible from the HHS/NIH site, contact: tehip@teh.nlm.nih.gov.