South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

PROJECT OVERVIEW

You have been commissioned by the Household Safety Commission to produce a consumer's guide to the effectiveness and safety of household products. Your team will create a Product SummarySheet for a household product and we will compile them on a resource website for consumers to use.

Project Handouts

Project Overview

Part 1: Defining the TaskDue Date:

How Toxic Are Your Household Cleaning Supplies?

Part 2: Selecting the Product + MSDSDue Date:

Part 3: Describing the ProductDue Date:

Part 4: Evaluating the ProductDue Date:

Part 5: Presenting the Product + Product Summary SheetDue Date:

Project Task LogDue Date:

Individual Project ReflectionsDue Date:

Project Rubric

The Team

Name / Contact Phone / Team Role

Our Product

Product Name:

Active/Key Ingredient:

South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

PART 1: DEFINING THE TASK

  1. Write down the names of and contact phone for each member of the team on the Project Overview page.
  1. Read the task:

You have been commissioned by the Household Safety Commission to produce a consumer's guide to the effectiveness and safety of household products. Your team will create a Product Summary Sheet for a household product, and we will compile them on a resource website for consumers to use.

  1. What are some factors that you need to consider when selecting a household product to buy?
  1. Read the “The Problem” portion of the article “How Toxic are your Household Cleaning Supplies?”

From the article, list five ingredients of common household products and their health hazards.

Chemical / Health Hazard
  1. Team Roles – In your team, agree upon who will play which role.
  2. Coordinator – The coordinator is responsible for the logistics of the team, such as organizing team meetings and communicating among the team members.
  3. Facilitator – The facilitator is responsible for facilitating discussions (making sure the team stays on task) and leading decisions that need to be made.
  4. Secretary – The secretary takes notes during team discussions and records data when collected, and shares these notes with all team members. The secretary will also take appropriate pictures of the process.
  5. Task Log – This team member keeps a record of the tasks that need to be completed, who is delegated to complete them, and whether and when they were completed. The Task Log document will be important when evaluating the performance of each member of the team.

Assign a role to each person on the team. You may need to modify these roles depending on the make-up of your team. Complete the “The Team” box on the Project Overview page with each team member’s roles.

  1. Team Agreement – Read the following, and amend as needed.
  2. Each team member is a valuable member of the team. Therefore, I will:
  3. Treat each member with respect.Listen to and value the opinions of each member.
  4. Stand by the decisions of the team, even if Iinitially disagreed with them.
  5. Each team member contributes to the success of the entire project. Therefore, I will:
  6. Complete all tasks to the best of my ability and in a timely manner. If I do not do so, I will hurt not only my own grade, but also that of all the members of my team.
  7. Gently remind or help other members of my team if they are not completing their tasks, because their performance affects mine.
  8. Ask for help when I need it.
  9. Accept responsibility whenI fall short; not blame others when they fall short.
  10. Each team member plays an important role in the team(see #5) and the team relies on me to carry out myrole. Therefore, I will:
  11. Engage and contribute my ideas to the team.
  12. Be on time and present to all team meetings. If something comes up and I cannot make it, I will inform the team immediately and will make sure my tasks are completed and that someone else will cover my role.
  13. Each team member is an expert on every aspect of the entire project. Therefore, I will:
  14. Seek to be knowledgeable about every aspect of the project even though I may have only completed one aspect of it.

Each team member sign here.

South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

How Toxic Are Your Household Cleaning Supplies?

Organic Consumers Association

Adapted from:

THE PROBLEMS

When consumers buy commercial cleaning products, we expect them to do one thing: clean! We use a wide array of scents, soaps, detergents, bleaching agents, softeners, scourers, polishes, and specialized cleaners for bathrooms, glass, drains, and ovens to keep our homes sparkling and sweet-smelling. But while the chemicals in cleaners foam, bleach, and disinfect to make our dishes, bathtubs and countertops gleaming and germ-free, many also contribute to indoor air pollution, are poisonous if ingested, and can be harmful if inhaled or touched. In fact, some cleaners are among the most toxic products found in the home. In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home.

Cleaning ingredients vary in the type of health hazard they pose. Some cause acute, or immediate, hazards such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer.

The most acutely dangerous cleaning products are corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and acidic toilet bowl cleaners, according to Philip Dickey of the Washington Toxics Coalition. Corrosive chemicals can cause severe burns on eyes, skin and, if ingested, on the throat and esophagus. Ingredients with high acute toxicity include chlorine bleach and ammonia, which produce fumes that are highly irritating to eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and should not be used by people with asthma or lung or heart problems. These two chemicals pose an added threat in that they can react with each other or other chemicals to form lung-damaging gases. Combining products that contain chlorine and ammonia or ammonia and lye (in some oven cleaners) produces chloramine gases, while chlorine combined with acids (commonly used in toilet bowl cleaners) forms toxic chlorine gas.

Fragrances added to many cleaners, most notably laundry detergents and fabric softeners, may cause acute effects such as respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing, and watery eyes in sensitive individuals or allergy and asthma sufferers. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found that one-third of the substances used in the fragrance industry are toxic. But because the chemical formulas of fragrances are considered trade secrets, companies aren't required to list their ingredients but merely label them as containing "fragrance."

Other ingredients in cleaners may have low acute toxicity but contribute to long-term health effects, such as cancer or hormone disruption. Some all-purpose cleaners contain the sudsing agents diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA). When these substances come into contact with nitrites, often present as undisclosed preservatives or contaminants, they react to form nitrosamines - carcinogens that readily penetrate the skin. 1,4-dioxane, another suspected carcinogen, may be present in cleaners made with ethoxylated alcohols. Butyl cellosolve (also known as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether), which may be neurotoxic (or cause damage to the brain and nervous system), is also present in some cleaners.

Chemicals that are so-called "hormone disruptors" can interfere with the body's natural chemical messages, either by blocking or mimicking the actions of hormones. Possible health effects include decreased sperm counts, increased rates of male birth defects such as cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and hypospadias (where the urethra is on the underside of the penis), and increased rates of some kinds of cancers. The alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) used in some detergents and cleaners have been shown to mimic the hormone estrogen; one APE, p-nonylphenol, has caused estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells to multiply in a test tube study.

THE SOLUTIONS

What to look for:

  • Although most cleaners don't list ingredients, you can learn something about a product's hazards by reading its label. Most labels bear a signal word, such as Danger, Warning or Caution, that provides some indication of a product's toxicity. Products labeled Danger or Poison are typically most hazardous; those bearing a Warning label are moderately hazardous, and formulas with a Caution label are considered slightly toxic. If you find them, choose products that are nontoxic enough that they require none of the signal words above on their label. Beside the signal word is usually a phrase that describes the nature of the hazard, such as "may cause skin irritation," "flammable," "vapors harmful," or "may cause burns on contact." Look for instructions on how to use the product, which may help you avoid injury. Some labels do list active ingredients, which may assist you in detecting caustic or irritating ingredients you may wish to avoid, such as ammonia or sodium hypochlorite. A few manufacturers voluntarily list all ingredients.
  • When ingredients are listed, choose products made with plant-based, instead of petroleum-based, ingredients.

What to look out for:

  • Avoid cleaners marked "Danger" or "Poison" on the label, and look out for other tell-tale hazard warnings, such as "corrosive" or "may cause burns."
  • Avoid products that list active ingredients of chlorine or ammonia, which can cause respiratory and skin irritation and will create toxic fumes if accidentally mixed together.

South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

PART 2: SELECTING THE PRODUCT

  1. Each member of your team will select a household product to study.
  2. Products that are best suited for this project:
  3. Should be liquid, but not an oil.
  4. Should ideally be clear and colorless (or lightly colored).
  5. Should have a clear active/key ingredient.
  6. Is not be used in our Cabbage Juice Lab (i.e. drain cleaner, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, Lime Away, Milk of Magnesia, rubbing alcohol, or vinegar).
  7. Can be a cleaning product, soap/detergent, cosmetic product (such as a cleanser), over-the-counter medication (not prescription).
  8. Determine the chemical that is the active/key ingredient in the product. Look up the molecular and structural formula for the chemical.
  9. Find and print out the MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) from the manufacturer. Note the source of the MSDS.
  10. Bring all of the above including the product to class. If your product is selected, it should remain in the classroom for two weeks.
  11. As a team, share the product each member brought in (record it below). Select one product among themto study by CIRCLING it. Take a picture of the product. Attach the MSDS to this page.

Team Member / Product / Key Ingredient / MSDS?

South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

PART 3: DESCRIBING THE PRODUCT

Perform appropriate tests to determine the properties of this product. The notes in each part of this table should be a short complete sentence. You should perform at least three tests.

Test / Result / Claim / Conclusion

Based on the results from the tests, write a paragraph to describe the properties of your product (i.e. acid/neutral/base and electrolytic properties). Use the results of the tests to justify your claims.

Write a paragraph that describes the product on the molecular level. Use the results of the tests to justify your claims.

Sketch what your product looks like on the molecular level.

(Extra) Describe how the structural features of the chemical result in its properties.

South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

PART 4: EVALUATING THE PRODUCT

  1. Using the MSDS and other resources, identify the safety concerns when using this product.
  1. How do the properties of the chemical (Part 3) allow the product to be effective for the product’s function?
  1. How do the properties of the chemical affect the product’s safety?
  1. What precautions should be taken in order for the product to be used safely?

  1. Using everything that have been found, summarize the properties of the product and how they affect its function and safety. Evaluate how safe the product is to use and any precautions that need to be taken when using it.

[The key ingredient of (AAA) is (BBB), which is also known as (CCC). We determined that (BBB) is a (strong acid) because the product turned (red) when we performed the cabbage juice test, and conducted electricity (well) using the light bulb apparatus. This means that BBB dissociates (completely) into ions: (HA  H+ + A–). (AAA) is used to (clean smooth surfaces), so as (an acid), it (reacts with XXX particles) easily. However, (AAA) has been found to cause (YYY) when (used in large amounts), it is recommended that (gloves are worn) when using (AAA). We consider (AAA) (somewhat unsafe) since the hazards are (mild).]

South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

PART 5: PRESENTING THE PRODUCT

Complete all parts of this Project Report completed neatly.

Create a Product Summary Sheet. Download and fill in the Product Summary Template.

Complete the Task Log document.

Each member should complete a Project Reflection Form.

Sources

List all sources used in researching this product. Attach extra sheets if necessary.

Source / Information Gained

PRODUCT SUMMARY SHEET

This page should be completed online and submitted here:

Team Members (from Part 1):
Product Name and Image (from Part 2): / Active/Key Ingredient and Molecular Representation (from Part 3):

Safety Rating and Concerns (from Part 4):
[bullet points] / Properties of the Product (from Part 3):
[bullet points]
Product Analysis (question 4 from Part 4):
[paragraph]

South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

PROJECT TASK LOG

Task / Team Member / Due Date / Completed? And Notes

South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name _

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION FORMName _

Complete the following using complete sentences.

  1. What is the most important thing you learned from this project?
  1. What big idea(s) did this project help you understand?
  1. How did you contribute to the project (your role and tasks)?
  1. Determine the percent of the project that each member contributed. All values should add up to 100%.

Team member 1: Percent:

Team member 2: Percent:

Team member 3: Percent:

Team member 4: Percent:

  1. What do you wish you had done differently?
  1. What was the most enjoyable part of this project?
  1. What was the least enjoyable part of this project?
  1. What could be done differently by the teacher to make this project better next time?

South Pasadena • ChemistryTeam Name

4 • Salts and SolutionsPeriod Date

IS THERE A MONSTER UNDER YOUR SINK?

PROJECT RUBRIC