This page is an information repository for the kind of information
that large chemical companies generally do not want you to know.
It's essentially a page of my notes.
I provide it in the hope that it will be useful to people other than myself.
I finally grew tired of only seeing sporadic references to
the toxic or otherwise unpleasant effects of various chemicals that are in our
food, soil, air, beds, lotions, shampoos, carpets, cars, et cetera.
I decided to consolidate all of the information that I found in one place.
Note: I don't guarantee the accuracy of any information herein for any purpose and
I suggest that you always do your own research.
| Chemical | Used for | Used in | Health effects | Derived from |
|---|
| 1,3-diphenylpropane |
? |
sol-gel |
|
|
| 4-methylimidazole 4-MEI |
byproduct |
caramel color |
carcinogen |
|
| Acacia gum E414; gum arabic |
coating |
food |
|
|
| Acesulfame potassium |
sweetener |
drinks |
|
|
| Acridine dyes |
experimental treatment for herpesvirus |
medication |
mutagen frameshift; potent carcinogen |
|
| Acrylamide |
byproduct? |
soaps |
neurotoxicity; genotoxicity; carcinogenicity; reproductive toxicity |
|
| Aflatoxin |
strong carcinogen contaminant |
peanut butter; peanuts; corn; cottonseed |
cancer |
produced by fungus Aspergillus flavis |
| Ammonium xylenesulfonate |
thickener; improves water solubility |
shampoo |
|
|
| Antimony trihydride |
? |
Possibly PVC |
Possibly causes SIDS sudden infant death syndrome |
|
| Asbestos |
insulator |
homes; vehicle brakes |
asbestosis; mesothelioma |
serpentine & other ultramafic rocks |
| Aspartame |
Nutrasweet sweetener |
foods; drinks |
cancer |
|
| Atrazine |
pesticide |
agriculture |
hormone disruptor, possible cause of gender dysphoria |
|
| A-Terpineol |
? |
? |
causes respiratory problems; including fatal edema; causes central nervous system damage |
|
| Azodicarbonamide |
flour whitening agent; dough conditioner |
flour; yoga mats; shoe soles; jar closures |
respiratory problems; degrades to semicarbazide which causes DNA damage in mice |
|
| Chemical | Used for | Used in | Health effects | Derived from |
|---|
| Bacitracin |
topical antibiotic |
? |
contact dermatitis |
|
| Benzalkonium Chloride |
antibiotic |
moist-wipes; cosmetics |
highly toxic; mutagenic; reproductive damage; kidney damage; corrosive |
|
| Benzene C6H6 |
? |
used in making plastic and textiles, found in Coca-Cola and other soft drinks |
carcinogen |
|
| Benzopyrene |
toxin |
found in smoke & soot |
mutagen frameshift; potent carcinogen |
|
| Benzyl acetate |
? |
? |
linked to pancreatic cancer |
|
| Benzyl alcohol |
? |
? |
upper respiratory tract irritant |
|
| BHA |
preservative |
food |
carginogen |
|
| Bisphenol A |
? |
food-grade plastics |
leaches into food to damage brain; disrupts hormones; may be carcinogen |
petroleum? |
| Boric acid |
insecticide |
mattresses; eye washes |
damages testes; can cause death |
|
| Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) |
emulsifier |
sugary drinks |
memory loss; skin damage; nerve damage |
|
| Butylparaben |
preservative |
soaps |
irritates skin; affects male reproductive system; paraben is an estrogen mimic |
|
| Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) |
preservative |
food |
disrupts sex hormones ; possible carcinogen |
|
| Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) |
preservative |
food |
disrupts sex hormones ; possible carcinogen |
|
| Chemical | Used for | Used in | Health effects | Derived from |
|---|
| C8 |
used to manufacture Teflon |
Teflon pans; clothing |
causes birth defects; vapors produced when heated are toxic to birds |
|
| Cadmium |
various |
batteries; found in chocolate |
carcinogen |
naturally occurring |
| Calcium bicarbonate |
? |
? |
? |
calcium carbonate reacting with carbonic acid CO2 |
| Calcium carbonate AKA calcite |
abrasive |
toothpaste |
? |
limestone |
| Calcium iodate |
? |
chicken feed |
|
|
| Calcium pantothenate |
form of Vitamin B5 |
chicken feed |
|
|
| Camphor |
? |
? |
causes central nervous system disorders |
|
| Caramel coloring |
coloring |
cola drinks; lunchmeats; beers; etc. |
cancer risk due to use of ammonia in manufacturing |
|
| Carrageenan |
thickener |
toothpaste |
contains free glutamate |
seaweed |
| Choline chloride |
growth accelerator |
chicken feed |
|
|
| Chloroform |
? |
? |
neurotoxin; anesthetic and carcinogenic |
|
| Cobalt chloride |
? |
antiperspirants; hair dyes; buttons; tools |
contact dermatitis |
|
| Cocamide DEA |
foaming agent lather |
shampoo |
|
|
| Cocamidopropyl betaine |
detergent |
soaps |
irritates skin and eyes; penetration enhancer ; can be contaminated with diethanolamine indirectly causes cancer |
|
| Copper oxide |
? |
chicken feed |
|
|
| Coumarin |
flavoring |
spices; Mexican synthetic vanilla |
toxic to the liver; cancer; harms cognitive development |
Tonka beans and tree; non-Ceylon cinnamon |
| Chemical | Used for | Used in | Health effects | Derived from |
|---|
| Erucic acid |
it's in mustard oil |
|
heart damage: myocarditis |
found in mustard oil |
| Ethidium bromide |
For staining DNA |
In biology lab |
mutagen damages DNA; carcinogen |
|
| Ethoxyquin |
preservative in pet foods |
e.g. chicken feed |
possibly harmful when ingested; touched; etc. |
|
| Ethyl acetate |
? |
? |
A narcotic on the EPAs Hazardous Waste list |
|
| Ethylene |
fruit ripening |
repressed in Flavr Savr tomato |
? |
naturally produced in fruit; also produced by burning gas |
| Ethylene glycol |
decreases freezing point of liquids |
automotive antifreeze |
neurological effects; multiple organ failure; death. |
hydrocarbons |
| Chemical | Used for | Used in | Health effects | Derived from |
|---|
| Ferrous carbonate siderite |
? |
chicken feed |
|
|
| FGD gypsum |
? |
agricultural fields; drywall |
contains mercury arsenic lead |
Coal power plant scrubber waste |
| Fluoride |
? |
water supply; toothpaste |
fluorosis; fluoride is an enzyme poison: meaning it obstructs the metabolism of your cells; neurotoxin |
Industrial waste |
| Formaldehyde AKA formalin |
preservative |
foam bedding; upolstery; car seats; cosmetics; shampoos; preservation of dead animals and human cadavers |
carcinogen; contact dermititis |
methanol |
| Fructose |
natural sweetener |
fruit ; processed foods |
not metabolized properly unless eaten with fiber e.g. in whole fruits like oranges and apples |
fruit |
| Chemical | Used for | Used in | Health effects | Derived from |
|---|
| Magnesium Tallowate |
cleaning agent |
soap |
unknown |
|
| Manganous oxide |
? |
chicken feed |
|
|
| Menadione Diemethylpyrimidinol bisulfate |
? |
chicken feed |
|
|
| Mercury |
lighting; gold sequestering |
laptop computer displays; compact fluorescent bulbs |
attacks the brain |
naturally occurring element |
| Methanol |
? |
fuel denaturer |
possible carcinogen; CNS depressant; causes acidosis; gets converted to formaldehyde |
|
| Methionine supplement |
nutrient amino acid |
chicken feed |
|
|
| Methylisothiazolinone |
biocide kills parasites |
shampoo; lotions; cosmetics; industrial settings; paints |
contact burns; dermititis; allergic sensitization; if taken orally it enters brain and spinal cord: kills brain cells |
|
| Methylparaben |
preservative |
soaps |
irritates skin; affective male reproductive system; paraben is an estrogen mimic |
|
| Modified food starch |
thickener; also sweetener when it refers to MSG |
food |
FDA says any chemicals used to modify the starch do not need to be reported to consumer! |
|
| Monocalcium Phosphate |
leavening agent in bread |
bread; chicken feed |
|
|
| Monoethanolamine MEA |
? |
bubble baths; shampoos; soaps; facial cleansers |
hormone disrupter; liver and kidney cancer; forms carcinogens |
|
| Monosodium glutamate (MSG) |
flavor enhancer |
fast foods; processed foods; seasoning; Chinese take out |
neurotoxin |
|
| Chemical | Used for | Used in | Health effects | Derived from |
|---|
| Paraffinum liquidum |
lubricant emollient |
soaps |
dry skin; penetration enhancer; can be contaminated with PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which are linked to breast cancer |
|
| Parfum |
fragrance |
soaps |
potentially some of: hormone disruption; toxic to liver; neurotoxin; causes asthma; headaches; depression; mood swings; etc |
|
| Pectin |
gelling/thickening agent; demulcent |
food; throat lozenges |
? |
fruit: it is in the cell wall |
| PEG-5 cocamide |
emulsifier; foam stabilizer; surfactant |
shampoo |
|
|
| PEG-14 M sorbitan laurate |
thickener solvent; emulsifier; surfacant |
soaps |
unsafe for use on damaged skin ; penetration enhancer ; irritates skin; can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide which are linked to breast cancer |
|
| PEG-80 |
thickener solvent; emulsifier; surfacant |
soaps |
penetration enhancer ; irritates skin; can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide which are linked to breast cancer |
|
| PEG-150 distearate |
thickener solvent; emulsifier; surfacant |
soaps |
penetration enhancer ; irritates skin; can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide which are linked to breast cancer |
|
| PEG-300 |
surfactant |
? |
skin irritation; probably harmful to kidney+liver if ingested |
|
| Pentane |
? |
? |
narcosis; irritation |
|
| Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) |
Fire suppresson |
Firefighting foam |
liver cancer |
|
| Polyglycerol polyricinoleate PGPR; also known as E476 |
emulsifier; replacement for cocoa butter |
choclate & other candies |
link to hyperactivity in children; concern that it might change offspring sex ratio; I am not finding much research |
possibly derived from animals |
| Polypropylene terephthalate |
forms film; type of polyester providing feeling of smoothness |
soaps |
carcinogen linked to pancreatic cancer; contains phthalate which mimics estrogen and is linked to breast cancer |
|
| Polyquarternium-7 |
forms film on skin making it seem soft |
soaps |
contact dermatitis; formaldehyde releaser; can be contaminated with acrylamide which is a CNS toxin |
|
| Potassium benzoate |
preservative |
drinks e.g. soda |
in presence of Vitamin C and heat this chemical form the carcinogen benzene |
|
| Potassium bromate |
increases dough size |
bread making |
cancer, nervous system damage, kidney damage |
|
| Potassium phosphate E340 |
? |
food |
hypocalcaemia |
|
| Propylparaben |
preservative |
soaps |
irritates skin; affects male reproductive system; paraben is an estrogen mimic |
|
| Propyl gallate |
preservative |
meats; chewing gum; vegetable oil |
endocrine disruptor; carcinogen |
|
| Chemical | Used for | Used in | Health effects | Derived from |
|---|
| SM-102 |
|
vaccines |
|
|
| Saccharin |
sweetener |
drinks e.g. soda; also sold by itself |
not metabolized; inhibits uptake of vitamin biotin |
|
| Sodium benzoate |
preservative |
drinks e.g. soda |
in presence of Vitamin C and heat this chemical forms carcinogen benzene |
|
| Sodium bicarbonate |
leavening agent; freshness; antacid |
foods; toothpaste |
? |
from earth but purified |
| Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate |
detergent/booster; co-surfactant |
shampoo |
? |
oleochemical or petrochemical |
| Sodium hydroxide AKA lye |
pH acidity adjuster |
soaps |
irritates skin & eyes; can burn. |
ashes etc. |
| Sodium laurel sulfate SLS |
dispersant; detergent association colloid |
toothpaste; soaps |
dry skin; irritates eyes; penetration enhancer ; can be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane which causes breast cancer |
coconut oil |
| Sodium monofluorophosphate |
tooth decay prevention |
toothpaste e.g. Toms |
? |
fluorospar ore calcium fluoride |
| Sodium nitrite |
meat preservation |
deli meat; processed meats |
increased cancer risk |
|
| Sodium phosphate (E339) |
preservative; leavening agent |
meats; cheese; cake mix |
hypocalcaemia; vascular damage; accelerated aging |
|
| Sodium selenite |
? |
chicken feed |
toxic? |
|
| Sodium stearate |
Cleaning agent in soap association colloid |
soap |
|
|
| Sucralose Splenda |
sweetener |
foods; also sold by itself |
enlarged liver & kidneys |
chlorination of sucrose |
| Chemical | Used for | Used in | Health effects | Derived from |
|---|
| TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone) |
preservative; antioxidant to prevent oxidation of frying oil |
snacks; cereals; fast food |
toxic to kidney & bladder; causes ataxia in rats; may cause child behavioral problems; possible carcinogen |
petroleum -- TBHQ is a form of butane |
| Tetrasodium EDTA |
preservative |
soaps |
irritates eyes and skin; contact dermatitis; contact allergies; penetration enhancer |
|
| Tetrasodium Etidronate |
water softener |
soaps |
|
|
| Thrombin |
meat glue |
composite meat products |
|
|
| Titanium dioxide |
whitening |
yogurt and other dairy foods; marshmallows |
inflammation; neurotoxin; possible carcinogen |
|
| Triclosan |
antibacterial; pesticide |
detergents; dish-washing liquids; soaps; deodorants; cosmetics; lotions; anti-microbial creams; various toothpastes; in various plastics and textiles. |
toxic to aquatic life; carcinogen; breaks down into dioxin |
petrochemicals? |
| Triethanolamine TEA |
? |
bubble baths; shampoos; soaps; facial cleansers |
hormone disrupter; liver and kidney cancer; forms carcinogens |
? |