Environmental Contamination - Lab Report Example

Detrimental side effects of these contaminants range from carcinogenic effects to liver disease and significant influence on productivity of various plants due to effects on soil (Yan Hai et al. 5). The persistence of these contaminants in the environment should be taken special notice of. 1, 4 dioxane a toxic synthetic petrochemical is a known carcinogen that is common in most household consumer products. The most susceptible products are laundry detergents, hair care products, and cleaning products.

It is a byproduct of the reaction between ethylene oxide and other ingredients in the ethoxylation processing of detergents and cleaning products. The ethoxylation process is supposed to reducing the severity of harsher ingredients (Ethan, 2010). It is ironic that the process aimed at reducing the harmful components results in a more harmful ingredient. Most labeling lacks an indication of these products. Steinman in his evaluation of conventional and natural laundry detergent brands reported P&G products to have the highest concentration of 1, 4 dioxane levels in comparison to other brands.

Only two of the natural brands contained o1, 4 dioxane though the levels were significant lower than the average concentrations observed in the conventional names. This presents the idea of due diligence in assessing the suitability of various brands both on the part of the user and the regulating body (organic consumers association 8). Of the 80,000 known chemicals, EPA only tests 200 of the probable contaminants. This presents a high likelihood that some contaminants escape notice. Contaminants like 1,4 dioxane has been found to be persistent in the environment especially since it binds to water and relatively hard to remove since small concentration of it have been found in water even after purification and filtration.

Most of the water supply has been found contaminated by 1, 4