How harmful are the emissions from cosmetic hygiene and cleaning products?

The major concern is the chemicals which cleaning products contain. There are thousands of chemicals in common use and many have not been tested for safety, though the effects of many are known. They may pollute streams and rivers and may take a long time to degrade into harmless products.

Many of the chemicals in these products are known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These chemicals off-gas into the air that we breathe which exacerbates respiratory conditions and in some cases can be deadly.