Cleaning chemicals can also take a toll on human health. We are exposed to
these chemicals through regular application of these products in our homes
and the subsequent presence of cleaning chemicals in our air, water and
household dust. We are well aware of some of the short-term impacts of
cleaning chemicals, such as skin, eye or lung irritation. This information is
usually recorded on the product label with a caution or warning. However,
we know considerably less about the impacts of long-term exposure, and the
possible connections to chronic diseases. In the next few sections of this
report, we will discuss a growing body of research that examines the link
between cleaning chemicals and chronic health impacts with a particular
emphasis on asthma and reproductive effects