IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE CLEAN AND GREEN?
How to overcome the hidden dangers of cleaners and pest control
By Lynn Gordon, Member

In 1962, a biologist named Rachel Carson published a landmark book titled Silent Spring. Backed by extensive scientific research, Ms. Carson brought the dangers of the chemical industry to the attention of public consumers, the media, as well as government agencies and President Kennedy.

Nevertheless, nearly 4 decades later the public continues to endure exposure to thousands of toxic chemicals through the everyday use of products such as cleaners and pesticides in our homes and commercial kitchens.

As a bakery and restaurant owner, I have experienced the difficulties and legal challenges in using non-toxic cleaners and pest management methods. Fortunately, positive solutions are available and becoming increasingly visible through various publications and organizations. The intent of this article is to explain the background of the dangers associated with toxic chemicals and to provide direction for positive solutions to these products and services for others in the food service industry.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that human exposure to indoor air pollutants may be 2-5 times, and occasionally, more than 100 times higher than outdoor levels. These levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular concern because it is estimated that most US citizens spend as much as 90% of their time indoors¹. These hazards are the result of the widespread introduction of synthetic chemicals into the US economy, which accelerated after the Second World War. This era was referred to as the "Green Revolution" and heralded the dawn of "better living through chemistry." Since 1950, more than 80,000 new chemicals have been introduced to the US market. Initially developed for human warfare, scientists modified chemical compounds for the purpose of controlling "pests" such as insects, rodents and bacteria. Unfortunately, research has shown that the use of these chemicals has lead to pest-resistance and the need for increased use of these toxins.

Not only are we experiencing resistance to certain pesticides, bacteria are becoming resistant to chemical controls as well, because of the widespread use of anti-bacterial hand cleaners. In fact the American Medical Association is now calling for an end to the use of anti-bacterial soaps, because they are leading to resistant bacteria and are causing harm to ecosystems because they are not eliminated in water purification. The AMA therefore recommends using normal soaps for hand washing. There are a number of natural soaps that do an excellent job and are multi-purpose and reasonably priced such as Dr. Bronner’s.

Chemical pest-control methods are primarily responsible for unnecessary toxic exposure to humans and the ecosystems, which we depend on. Complete human health and environmental impact assessments are available for less than 10% of registered chemicals. The effects of this toxicological experiment has been scientifically proven to be associated with various cancers, reproductive disorders, respiratory diseases, allergies, wildlife extinction, groundwater pollution, as well as other human and ecological hazards.

Regardless of income and race, however, all US citizens are knowingly or unknowingly exposed to chemical toxins through the use of common cleaners and pesticides, especially those of us working in the food industry. Although the U.S. EPA requires labeling for chemical products, many consumers are not aware of the risks associated with products bearing the terms "danger," "warning" & caution."

Many individuals think these chemicals are "safe" because they are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency. However, the EPA label only means that in cost benefit analysis the chemicals were considered cost effective. It means nothing in terms of their being safe.

The best method for avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals is by only using cleaners and pest management methods known to be non-toxic and biodegradable. One special feature of these alternatives is that they do not contain chlorine, which has become a significant environmental pollutant. There are a number of safe, natural and cost effective cleaners such as Bon Ami, Safe & Clean, Seventh Generation, orange cleaners, and Borax cleansers, dish soaps and other cleaning and disinfecting products that are readily available. In addition, non-toxic cleaners can be made with natural ingredients such as baking soda, white vinegar and reconstituted lemon and lime juice, which will even save more money.

There are a number of books including Clean Health, Clean Planet: Clean your house for pennies a day the safe non-toxic way by Karen Logan or The Green Consumer by John Elkington, Julia Hales and Joe Makower, and the Safe Shoppers Bible: A consumers guide to non-toxic household products, cosmetics, and food by David Steinman and Dr. Samuel S. Epstein. I have found that it takes less time to make my own solutions than it would take to drive to the store and purchase cleaning products. There are estimates that homemade "green" cleaners that would cost $4.50, would cost $20.00 for the same commercial product equivalent.

Unwanted pests, such as insects and rodents, can be controlled through the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM methods include simple measures such as proper cleanliness, sealing and screening, and pest-resistant landscaping. If necessary, non-toxic chemicals can be used as a last resort.

Another common cause of indoor air pollution is insufficient ventilation. Through the use of modern heat (and cold-air) recovery systems, buildings can be supplied with 100% fresh air while conserving energy and money. In order to improve the environmental practices of my café, I recently joined The Green Restaurant Association (GRA), which is a national non-profit organization that assists the food industry in implementing environmentally responsible solutions to concerns such as these. The GRA keeps a database of environmentally responsible cleaning products and IPM service providers.

Finding solutions for common products and services can be potentially difficult and frustrating. For example, state testing and approval of sanitizing agents is primarily focused on chlorine, iodine and quaternary ammonium. All three of these compounds have been proven to be associated with environmental and human health hazards. The GRA (www.dinegreen.com) is working with various government agencies in identifying approved non-toxic sanitizers. For people with chemical sensitivities, the use of chlorine and other sanitization agents restricts thousands from dining out. Fortunately, through the use of environmentally responsible products and service all people can avoid low-level toxic exposure.

The first step is to learn more and educate yourself and your staff. One way to learn how you can reduce costs and become more environmentally responsible is through The Natural Step educational program. The Alliance for Sustainability (www.mtn.org/iasa) offers seminars and information on The Natural Step and healthy sustainable living training for restaurants, hospitals, and other institutions.

The second step in transforming these patterns is to evaluate your personal use of chemical products in your commercial kitchen. Read labels and warnings and research products with the below-listed organizations. Vote with your dollars by purchasing "green" products.

Which leads me to the third step - contact your local, state and national government officials regarding these issues. Currently, only 12 states, barely one-quarter of the nation, require disclosure, or right-to-know, when pesticides are used in public indoor areas, workplace, or residential building⁴.

Thanks to the work of Rachel Carson and thousands of other scientists, there is overwhelming evidence regarding the dangers of toxic chemicals that can be used to protect people and the environment. Research has revealed the dangers of using many chemicals and revealed how little we know regarding long-term exposure. For these reasons and more, we must adopt the "precautionary principle" to guide our decisions in purchasing cleaners, pest-management as well as myriad other products and services.

Many companies and industries are making a sincere effort to eliminate unnecessary chemical dangers. It is our responsibility to recognize and support positive alternatives while calling for an end to toxic hazards. Together, we cannot only create ecological health for generations to come, but increase our bottom line to the black side in the process.

1. EPA: indoor air quality http://www.epa.gov/iaq/index.html

2. Environmental Defense: environmental justice scorecard: http://www.scorecard.org/community/ej-index.tcl

3. Environmental Defense: chemical profiles http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-profiles/

4. 1999. Karen Owens and Jay Feldman. The Building of State Indoor Pesticide Policies. Pesticides and You. Vol. 18, no. 4.