Washing powder: Increased levels of toxins in the environment - including those in common cleaning products such as washing powder - could be bad for our health, according to scientist Katherine Tucker, from Tufts University in Boston. Chemicals from our homes enter the water supply where they are ingested by fish and animals, which may end up on our plates.
Although experts insist that breastfeeding is still best, there is concern that mothers with high levels of toxins are exposing their babies to potentially harmful chemicals.
"Dioxins have been shown in animals to be related to cancer, and, in some human studies, there have been suggestions they may contribute to cancer," Tucker recently said on ITV1's Tonight with Trevor McDonald programme. "Breast milk is the first and largest dose of these toxic chemicals that children are exposed to."
Skin conditions common in children, such as dermatitis, can be caused by "frequent contact with everyday substances, such as detergents in toiletries or cleaning products," says BUPA.
One laundry product which cleans clothes without detergent is the Whirligig laundry disc - a magnetic ball that raises the ph level of the water, so dirt becomes soluble and is lifted off fabric.
"Almost everything we use in our lives is made from, or contains, synthetic chemicals," says Greenpeace, which is campaigning for the withdrawal of licences from potentially harmful chemicals.
Greenpeace research into household cleaning products shows that many contain artificial musk, which we probably ingest, as it is not removed during the water treatment process.
"This is added to the musk you ingest when you drink milk [because the sludge from the treatment works was spread on farmland\], and the musk you absorb through your skin. It sticks to the clothes you wash with 'fresh lemon'-smelling washing powder," explains Greenpeace on its Chemical House website.
"This is why levels of musk and other persistent, bio-accumulative chemicals like them are being found in increasing amounts in our bodies. These 'Chemicals of Very High Concern' are found in breast milk and other parts of our body and, in some cases, levels are doubling every few years." The Greenpeace safety rating for most washing powders is "red", because manufacturers have declined to provide information about the chemicals in their products.
The only washing powder to receive a "green" rating was Ecover, which means that it does not contain "chemicals of very high concern - that is, substances that persist in the environment, build up in the human body, or may cause cancer, damage genetic material, damage the reproductive system or disrupt the hormone system".
Irish water has a consistently high level of phosphates, which causes the infamous algae bloom and destroys wildlife in our rivers and lakes. Most phosphates come from agriculture, as the amount in most washing powder is now under 15 per cent.
According to one Irish detergent company, products with zero phosphates tend not to clean as well as ones with a mix of about 5 per cent phosphates and a substitute such as zeolites.
Dishwashing tablets, however, may contain more than 30 per cent phosphates. A consumer adviser at Reckitt Benckicer, which makes Finish tablets, was unable to explain whether the "over 30 per cent" on its label meant 35 per cent or 70 per cent. No specification was made "for safety against other competitors".
"Although washing powders may contain lower levels of phosphates, our use of phosphates has increased because we wash our clothes more often and use dishwashers," says Mindy O'Brien of the environmental group, VOICE.
"We shouldn't be contributing in any way to the chemical load on the environment from agriculture. We should find phosphate-free products."
Phosphates are not the only chemicals in detergents which may be harmful to the environment. Scientists at Bath University in the UK recently received funding to develop an organic compound that will break down completely and naturally in rivers and the sea as an alternative to the current petroleum-based chemicals in cleaning products.
"People sometimes do not realise that everyday household cleaning material like soap, shampoo and washing powder can pollute the seas," says researcher Dr Alexei Lapkin.
VOICE points out that more than 80,000 manufactured chemicals are in daily use and scientists are becoming more concerned about the ultimate effect of these chemicals on our endocrine (reproductive) system.
• Saturday is Water Heritage Day. For details of events in your area: www.heritagecouncil.ie
• Whirligig laundry discs are available from Fruit Hill Farm, Bantry, Co Cork. Website: www.fruithillfarm.com