Green cleaning refers to using cleaning methods and products with environmentally friendly ingredients and procedures which are designed to
preserve human health and environmental quality. Green cleaning techniques and
products avoid the use of products which contain toxic chemicals, some of which emit volatile organic, compounds causing respiratory, dermatological and
other conditions.
Green
cleaning can also describe the way residential and industrial cleaning products
are manufactured, packaged and distributed. If the manufacturing process is
environmentally friendly and the products are biodegradable, then the term "green" or "eco-friendly" may apply.
Environmental impacts of cleaning agents are the consequences of
chemical compounds in cleaning products. The human impact on the environment has
produced a range of unnatural compounds that have been specifically developed
to achieve the goals of the consumer. Synthetic chemicals exposed to the
environment introduce novel, bioactive opponents
to ecosystems with consequences ranging from mild to severe for terrestrial and
aquatic animals, humans and plant life. Increased focus concerning the impact
of cleaning products has emerged as developmental and endocrine disruptors have
been linked to cleaning agents.
Some
chemicals have been found to alter gene function. Altered gene function often
leads to changes in an organism's proper development, with negative
consequences to animal populations, e.g. resulting from grander upset in
ecosystems.
For
example, many cleaning agents contain oestradiol-mimicking compounds that hinder proper
development in male offspring and accelerate puberty in young females. Consumer
concerns have also been instigated by skin and eye irritation that occur upon contact. In green cleaning, alternative methods of cleaning that makes use
of environmentally friendly chemistry that can be as effective as the chemicals
contained in cleaning products.
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