Preface

Survey of chemical substances in cleaning products for ovens, cookers and ceramic cooktops

A visit to an ordinary supermarket proves that there is a large market for cleaning products for domestic use. The more products marketed the more different products be sold. Furthermore, many cleaning products, e.g. for cleaning of ovens, cookers and ceramic cooktops, are special-purpose products and, therefore, it is not uncommon that consumers have a total of up to 10 - 25 different cleaning products in the household. Often, many of these special-purpose cleaning products are expensive compared to the common cleaning products, e.g. all-purpose cleaning agents, hand-dishwashing agents, sanitary cleaning agents, soft soap, etc. The heavy consumption of cleaning products contributes to the total impact of chemicals on the environment and, furthermore, the products may contain substances hazardous to health. Consumers often find it difficult to assess whether chemical substances forming part of the products may have an impact on health and the environment and whether the available special-purpose products may as well be replaced by common cleaning agents. This report presents the survey of the chemical substances forming part of special-purpose products for cleaning of ovens, cookers and ceramic cooktops and for stainless steel care.

This report was prepared by Trine Thorup Andersen and Dorte Rasmussen, DHI – Institute for Water and Environment, in cooperation with Dorthe Nylén, Danish Toxicology Centre. Chapter 6 of this report 6 Health assessment of selected substances was later revised by Karl-Heinz Cohr, DHI – Water, Environment and Health. Thus, the conclusions of the report do not necessarily express the attitude of the Danish Environmental Agency.

Before publication, the report has been submitted to the producers and importers, whose products are included in the survey.