I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my

teacher PAWAN SRIVASTAVA as well as our principal

ABHA BHARAT SHAH who gave me the golden opportunity
to do this wonderful project on the topic CHEMISTRY IN
EVERYDAY LIFE , which also helped me in doing a lot of
Research and I came to know about so many new things I am
really thankful to them.
Secondly I would also like to thank my parents and friends who
helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the limited time
frame.
THANKING YOU,
KAUSTUBH TRIPATHI
CLASS: - 9
 TABLE OF CONTENT

1. WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?
2. WHAT POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CAN BE FOUND IN THE TYPICAL HOME
3. CHEMISTRY IS EVERYWHERE
4. HOUSEHOLD CHEMICAL PRODUCTS AND THEIR HEALTH RISK.
What potentially dangerous chemicals
can be found in the typical home

Potentially dangerous chemicals can be found in every room in your home. If not
properly stored or used, these products could cause minor to serious and even life-
threatening health problems for you or your children.

What are these every day household chemicals? Let’s take a tour of the rooms of your
home and discover what some of these chemicals are and what health harms they may
cause.

Keep in mind that most household cleaning products and pesticides are reasonably safe
when used as directed, and that the level of toxicity of a product is dependent on the
dose of the product used (never use more than the amount listed on the label) and the
length of exposure to the product
 Chemistry is Everywhere

Everything you hear, see, smell, taste, and touch involves chemistry and chemicals (matter).
And hearing, seeing, tasting, and touching all involves intricate series of chemical reactions and
interactions in your body. With such an enormous range of topics, it is essential to know about
chemistry at some level to understand the world around us

In more formal terms chemistry is the study of matter and the changes it can undergo. Chemists
sometimes refer to matter as ‘stuff’, and indeed so it is. Matter is anything that has mass and
occupies space. Which is to say, anything you can touch or hold. Common usage might have us
believe that ‘chemicals’ are just those substances in laboratories or something that is not a
natural substance. Far from it, chemists believe that everything is made of chemicals.

Although there are countless types of matter all around us, this complexity is composed of
various combinations of some 100 chemical elements. The names of some of these elements will
be familiar to almost everyone. Elements such as hydrogen, chlorine, silver, and copper are part
of our everyday knowledge. Far fewer people have heard of selenium or rubidium or Hassam.
Nevertheless, all matter is composed of various combinations of these basic elements. The
wonder of chemistry is that when these basic particles are combined, they make something new
and unique. Consider the element sodium. It is a soft, silvery metal. It reacts violently with
water, giving off hydrogen gas and enough heat to make the hydrogen explode. Nasty ‘stuff’. Also
consider chlorine, a green gas when at room temperature. It is very caustic and choking, and is
nasty enough that it was used as a horrible chemical gas weapon in the last century. So what
kind of horrible mess is produced when sodium and chlorine are combined? Nothing more than
sodium chloride, common table salt. Table salt does not explode in water or choke us; rather, it
is a common additive for foods we eat every day.

And so it is with chemistry, understanding the basic properties of matter and learning how to
predict and explain how they change when they react to form new substances is what chemistry
and chemists are all about.

Chemistry is not limited to beakers and laboratories. It is all around us, and the better we know
chemistry, the better we know our world.
In the garage

Antifreeze. Ethylene glycol, the main hazardous ingredient of antifreeze, is extremely

poisonous. Though inhalation of the fumes can causes dizziness, swallowing antifreeze
will cause severe damage to the heart, kidneys and brain. Antifreeze can be fatal if
swallowed.

 Safety tips: If you need to clean up antifreeze – the bright green or yellow
liquid you find in your garage or driveway – make sure you wear gloves because
ethylene glycol is absorbed through the skin. Also, keep your pets away from
spilled antifreeze. Pets are attracted to antifreeze because of its sweet smell, but
licking or drinking the fluid can kill your pet. A much safer alternative to ethylene
glycol is propylene glycol. Before purchasing antifreeze, look at the label to
identify products containing the less toxic chemical, propylene glycol.

Motor oil. Used oil or waste motor oil may be contaminated with magnesium, copper,
zinc and other heavy metals deposited from your vehicle’s engine. Oil contains
chemicals that can cause nerve and kidney damage and that are suspected of causing
cancer.

Latex paint. Unless ingested in large quantities, water-soluble latex paints are not
highly toxic. However, some latex paints emit formaldehyde when drying. High levels of
formaldehyde can give you a headache and irritate your eyes, nose and throat.

Oil-based paint. Oil-based paint contains organic solvents that can be irritating to
eyes and skin, and can cause cracking of skin. Inhaling paint fumes can result in
headaches, nausea, dizziness and fatigue. Most of these symptoms go away once you go
out into fresh air. However, frequent exposure to these chemicals in the presence of
poor air circulation can cause kidney, liver and blood problems.

 Safety tips: When painting, keep windows and doors fully open. Place a box fan
in a window to direct air and fumes outdoors. Keep the fan on while painting and
for 48 hours thereafter. Keep small children away from the room being painted
and away from open paint cans.

Batteries. Most wet-cell batteries in use in today’s cars, SUVs and trucks are sealed so
you cannot be exposed to the batteries’ contents, which include sulfuric acid and lead.
However, when activated, the electrolyte solution in the battery produces explosive
gases that can be easily ignited.

Batteries that contain sulfuric acid must be labeled. Sulfuric acid fumes are strongly
irritating and contact can cause burning and charring of the skin, or blindness if you get
it in your eyes. Lead is poisonous in all forms and accumulates in our bodies and in the
environment.
  Safety tips: Never break the seal of wet-cell batteries. If the seal is accidentally
broken, keep children and pets away from the area until the battery's acid is
cleaned up. Wash your hands after any contact with wet-cell batteries.

Windshield washer fluid. Common chemicals in windshield washer fluid are

methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropanol. Collectively, these products can irritate the
lining of your nose, mouth and throat and can cause damage to the nervous system,
liver, kidneys, heart and brain. Ingestion can result in drowsiness, unconsciousness and
death

In the laundry room/utility room

Laundry detergents. These products contain enzymes (as noted by the names
"cationic," "anionic" or "non-ionic" on the label) to loosen stains and ground-in dirt.
Cationic detergents are the most toxic when taken internally. Ingestion can result in
nausea, vomiting, shock, convulsions and coma. "Non-ionic" detergents are less toxic
but can irritate skin and eyes or make you more sensitive to other
chemicals. Asthma can develop if a person is exposed to large quantities of detergent.
Detergents are also responsible for many household poisonings from accidental
swallowing.

All-purpose cleaners. There are numerous "all-purpose" cleaning products on the

market. These products usually contain detergents, grease-cutting agents, solvents
and/or disinfectants. The specific chemicals in these ingredients include ammonia,
ethylene glycol monobutyl acetate, sodium hypochlorite and/or trisodium phosphate.
Depending on the ingredients used, all-purpose cleaners can irritate the skin, eyes, nose
and throat. They can be highly poisonous to both humans and animals if swallowed.

 Safety tips: When working with an all-purpose cleaner, always wear rubber
gloves to protect your skin. Also, be sure that there is good air circulation in the
room. Open several windows or keep a fan running. Most importantly, NEVER
mix two cleaners of different kinds together, especially products containing
ammonia and chlorine (bleach). This mixture can result in the production of a
gas called chloramine, which can cause serious breathing problems and be
potentially fatal if inhaled in great quantities.

Bleach. Household bleach contains the chemical sodium hypochlorite in different

concentrations ranging from 0.7 percent to 5.25 percent. These percentages are the
amount of the chemical in the liquid; the rest of the liquid is mostly water. Chlorine
bleach liquid and vapors can irritate the skin, eyes, nose and throat. Dermatitis may
result from direct skin contact. Ingestion can cause esophageal injury, stomach
irritation and prolonged nausea and vomiting.

Never mix chlorine bleach with any other household cleaning products and
especially not with ammonia. Doing so can result in different types of poisonous
gases being released, which can cause very serious breathing problems.
Pet flea and tick treatments. Many of the pet flea and tick treatment products
contain pesticides that consist of the chemicals imidacloprid, fipronil, pyrethrins,
permethrin and methoprene. These chemicals can cause headache, dizziness, twitching
and nausea.

 Safety tips: When using these products on your dog or cat, be sure not to pet
them for at least 24 hours. If you forget and do pet them, wash your hands and
skin immediately with a lot of soap and water.

Insecticides. Insecticides contain some of the same pesticides found in pet flea and
tick treatments. In addition to permethrin, other pesticide chemicals commonly found
in insecticides are diazinon, propoxur and chlorpyrifos. These chemicals can cause
headache, dizziness, twitching and nausea.

 Safety tips: When using an insecticide in the home, make sure it doesn't get on
food or substances that come in contact with food, like dish towels, dishes,
silverware or counter tops

In the kitchen

Dishwashing detergents. The main ingredient in automatic and hand dishwashing

detergents is phosphate. Automatic dishwashing detergents are known to produce skin
irritations or burns and may be poisonous if swallowed. Hand dishwashing detergents
are milder than automatic dishwashing detergents. If swallowed, they may cause
irritation to the mouth and throat, nausea, but they are not fatal if swallowed.

Oven cleaners. The basic ingredient in oven cleaners is lye (consisting of either
sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide). Lye is extremely corrosive and can burn
your skin and eyes. It can cause severe tissue damage and may be fatal if swallowed.

 Safety tips: When working with oven cleaners, always wear an apron, gloves,
and safety goggles. Do not breathe the fumes. Make sure the work area is well
ventilated. The best tip: Non-toxic oven cleaners without lye are available. Look
at the label and select a product that does not contain lye.
Antibacterial cleaner. Antibacterial cleaners usually contain water, a fragrance, a
surfactant (to break up dirt), and a pesticide. The pesticides commonly used in
antibacterial cleaners are quaternary ammonium or phenolic chemicals. Antibacterial
cleaners can irritate your eyes and burn your skin and throat.

 Safety tips: To help protect your skin when using these cleaners, wear latex
dishwashing gloves. If you get some on the cleaner on your skin or in your eyes,
wash it off immediately.

Window and glass cleaner. The basic ingredients of window/glass cleaners are
ammonia and isopropanol. These products may be irritating to the eyes, skin, nose, and
throat. If swallowed, they may cause drowsiness, unconsciousness or death.

 Safety tips: Always wear gloves to use these products and use in a well-
ventilated area.

Bait traps for ants, cockroaches, crickets and other insects. The insecticides
commonly found in insect baits include abarmectin, propoxur, trichlorfon, sulfluramid,
chlorpyrifos, and boric acid. Since most insect baits are enclosed in containers, it’s
unlikely that you’ll come in contact with the pesticides within them. If you do, wash your
hands with plenty of soap and water.

In the bathroom

Toilet bowl cleaners. Toilet cleaners contain the chemicals sodium hypochlorite or
hydrochloric acid, or bleach. Most disinfectant cleaners are very irritating to your eyes
and skin and will burn your throat.

Never mix a toilet bowl cleaner with any other household or cleaning products. Doing
so can result in poisonous gases being released and can cause very serious breathing
problems.

 Safety tips: Always be sure when cleaning your bathrooms that the room has
plenty of ventilation. Leave the door open and use the exhaust fan, if you have
one. Wear latex dishwashing gloves to help protect your skin from splashes when
using toilet cleaners. If you splash some on your skin, wash it off immediately.

Mold and mildew removers. Chlorine and alkyl ammonium chlorides are the
common fungicide chemicals found in mold and mildew removers. Cleaners with mold
and mildew removers may cause breathing problems and if swallowed, can burn your
throat.

 Safety tips: Wear latex dishwashing gloves to help protect your skin when using
these products. If you get some on your skin, wash it off immediately.

Drain cleaners. Lye and sulfuric acid are the main ingredients used to unclog drains.
Lye can cause burns to skin and eyes, and if swallowed, can damage the esophagus and
stomach. Sulfuric acid can irritate the skin and eyes and can damage the kidneys, liver,
and digestive tract. These chemicals produce dangerous fumes, can cause skin burns,
and can cause blindness if they come in contact with your eyes. Drain cleaners can be
fatal if swallowed.

 Safety tips: Always use protective gloves and wear goggles when using these
products. Also, make sure there is good air circulation in the room when these
cleaners are used.

In the living room

Rug, carpet, upholstery cleaners. These cleaning products can contain

perchloroethylene (used in dry cleaning), naphthalene and ammonium hydroxide. The
fumes given off by these products can cause cancer and liver damage and have been
known to cause dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, loss of appetite, and disorientation.

 Safety tips: Use these products in well-ventilated areas and try not to breathe
the fumes.

Furniture polish. Furniture cleaners for wood may contain petroleum distillates and
oil of cedar. Furniture polish typically contains one or more of the following substances:
ammonia, naphtha, nitrobenzene, petroleum distillates and phenol. These chemicals
may irritate your skin, eyes, throat, lungs, and windpipe. If swallowed, furniture polish
can cause nausea and vomiting; medical help should be sought.

Air fresheners. Air fresheners contain formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, p-

dichlorobenzene and aerosol propellants. These chemicals are thought to cause cancer
and brain damage. They also are strong irritants to eyes, skin, and throat. These
ingredients are usually highly flammable. Additionally, solid fresheners usually cause
death if eaten by people or pets.

 Safety tips: Do not spray air fresheners around an open flame. Use them only
in a well-ventilated areas. Baking soda, which is not toxic, can be used as an
alternative to air freshener.

Household foggers. Like insecticide and pet flea and tick products, household foggers
or "bug bombs" contain many of the same pesticide chemicals, such as pyrethrins,
permethrin, and methoprene. Exposure to these chemicals could cause burning in your
eyes or your skin or can result in breathing problems. The contents of foggers can be
flammable.

 Safety tips: Proper use of foggers requires that all windows and doors to the
specific room or entire house be closed. Therefore, all people and pets need to get
out of the house – even if the specific room being "bug bombed" is closed off. The
gas emitted from these foggers will seep under doors and through air vents. Toys,
food, plates, cups, silverware and cookware should not be left out anywhere. After
the fogger is finished, clean all table and counter tops before using them. The
 house or room also should be aired out. Turn on your air conditioner or open the
windows. Use fans to help air out the house.

In the bedroom

Mothballs. The pesticides in mothballs are chemicals known as naphthalene and p-

dichlorobenzene. Breathing the fumes from mothballs may cause headaches and
dizziness and may irritate the skin, eyes, and throat. Extended exposure to the vapors
may result in cataract formation and liver damage.

In the backyard, pool and garden shed

Swimming pool chloride tablets. Disinfectants containing chlorine for use in

swimming pools are the chemicals calcium and sodium hypochlorite. These chemicals
are the same but in a higher concentration than those found in other household
disinfectant cleaners because they will be diluted in a very large amount of water.
Coming in contact with these chemicals before they are diluted cause breathing
problems and a burning sensation to eyes and skin. If swallowed, the chemicals can
burn the throat and could be fatal.

Algicides for the pool. The chemicals in algaecides for swimming pools commonly
include alkyl ammonium chlorides. These chemicals can cause breathing problems. If
swallowed, they can burn the throat.

Insect repellents. The pesticides commonly found in repellents are pyrethrins and a
chemical more commonly known as DEET. The chemicals in repellents may cause a
burning sensation to eyes, skin and throat. The chemicals also may cause anxiety,
behavioral changes, mental confusion and a loss of coordination.

 Safety tips: If the label says that you can apply the repellent to skin or clothes,
apply it only to your clothes. It will work just as well. Keep repellents away from
the eyes and mouth and away from any cuts on the skin. Don’t spray the repellent
on your face. When you come indoors, take a bath to wash off the chemicals and
launder your clothes.

Weed killers. The common pesticides in weed killers are dilute, 2,4-D, and glyph sate.
Some weed killers can irritate the eyes and skin. Some of these chemicals can be very
harmful if swallowed or inhaled or if large amounts get on skin and are not immediately
washed off.

Baits for rodent control. The pesticide commonly found in baits is known as
warfarin. This chemical causes internal bleeding if ingested in large amounts.