SOME BASIC IDEAS ON PRODUCT SELECTION HAZARDS,
AND SUBSTITUTION
Chemicals can hurt us only if they make contact with us or actually
enter the body. When using cleaning products, we should consider how
a product can enter the body. This will depend upon the ingredients
and how volatile they are, the form of the product (powder, liquid,
aerosol, spray), and how the product is actually used or applied in order
to do its job. The ways in which chemicals can interact with the body
are called ROUTES OF ENTRY. Routes of entry include
. inhalation: aerosols, vapors, or dusts can be inhaled into the
nose, mouth, or into the lungs where damage can be done
directly causing breathing problems or by absorption into
the bloodstream which carries the chemical to other body
organs where damage could be done
. skin contact: chemicals can directly damage the skih by defatting
the skin causing drying and dermatitis, by actually
burning tissue, or by being absorbed through the skin into
the bloodstream which carries the chemical to other body
organs where damage could be done, or
. ingestion: chemicals can be eaten accidentally or by hand-tomouth
contact (such as by eating or smoking without first
washing the hands or face).