Kitchen

1,4-Dioxane is an unintentional manufacturing contaminant generated during the ethoxylation process used to make surfactants in foaming cleaning products and shampoos. It is not an added ingredient and will not appear…

Acrolein is a highly reactive, acrid aldehyde generated when vegetable oils are heated to or beyond their smoke point. It is the compound responsible for the harsh, throat-catching fumes from a burning or overheated p…

Acrylamide is a chemical that forms naturally in starchy foods during high-temperature cooking — frying, roasting, baking, or toasting. It was first detected in food in 2002 and has since become one of the most studie…

Aflatoxins are a family of naturally occurring mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus moulds that infect peanuts, maize, tree nuts, spices, and dried fruits, particularly in warm, humid …

When polyunsaturated vegetable oils are heated to frying temperatures, their omega-6 linoleic acid chains oxidise and fragment to produce a complex mixture of volatile and non-volatile aldehydes — including the highly…

Aluminium salts are the active ingredient in antiperspirants — they work by physically blocking sweat glands. Concerns centre on systemic absorption through underarm skin, particularly where skin is damaged by shaving…

Ammonia is a pungent alkaline gas used as a cleaning agent in glass cleaners, multi-purpose sprays, floor polishes, and oven cleaners. While effective at cutting through grease and leaving streak-free glass surfaces, …

Antimony trioxide is used as a flame retardant synergist in the plastic casings of electronic devices — it is combined with halogenated flame retardants to achieve required flammability ratings. It is present in the h…

Rice accumulates inorganic arsenic from soil and water more efficiently than any other major food crop, due to the flooded paddy conditions under which it is grown. It is the single largest dietary source of inorganic…

Artificial sweeteners — including aspartame (E951), sucralose (E955), saccharin (E954), acesulfame K (E950), and cyclamate (E952) — are synthetic compounds hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than sugar, used to sw…

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA, E320) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, E321) are synthetic phenolic antioxidants added to fats, oils, and fat-containing foods to prevent rancidity. BHA is classified as a possible hum…

BPA is one of the most studied endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the world. It mimics oestrogen and has been found in the urine of over 90% of the general population in studies across Europe and the US. The "BPA-Free"…

Bisphenol S (BPS) was adopted as the primary replacement for bisphenol A (BPA) in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins following the regulatory and consumer backlash against BPA. Products carrying "BPA-free" labels…

Household chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is one of the most widely used domestic cleaning agents. While bleach itself is a highly reactive oxidiser, the greater long-term concern lies in the volatile byproducts…

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been used since the 1950s to make epoxy resin linings for metal food cans — a thin coating that prevents corrosion and preserves food quality. These linings migrate BPA directly into canned food,…

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been used as a colour developer coating on thermal paper since the 1960s — the same BPA that concerns toxicologists in plastics is present in very high concentrations (up to 3% by weight) on the …

Cocoa plants efficiently accumulate cadmium from soil into their beans — and the darker and purer the chocolate, the higher the cadmium concentration. Dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and raw cacao products marketed for …

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels. It is acutely lethal at high concentrations and causes chronic health effects — including ca…

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless, colourless, tasteless gas produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels. In the domestic environment it is generated by gas boilers, gas cookers, gas fires, paraffi…

D-Limonene is a naturally occurring terpene derived from citrus peel, widely used in "natural" and "eco" cleaning products as a solvent, fragrance, and degreaser. Despite its natural origin and pleasant smell, it is a…

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most widely studied member of the phthalate family — a group of plasticisers that make PVC soft and flexible. It is classified as a reproductive toxicant Category 1B and a subs…

Diethanolamine (DEA) is a viscous liquid used as a pH adjuster, emulsifier, and foam booster in liquid cleaning products and personal care items. DEA itself has low acute toxicity, but reacts with nitrite-containing p…

Dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, PCDDs) and furans (polychlorinated dibenzofurans, PCDFs) are unintentional persistent by-products of industrial combustion, waste incineration, and chlorine bleaching. Thoug…

Ethanolamines — primarily monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), and triethanolamine (TEA) — are a family of alkanolamines used as pH adjusters, emulsifiers, and surfactant components across a wide range of hou…

Glycol ethers are a family of solvents widely used in cleaning products, paints, varnishes, inks, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical formulations. They fall into two groups: the E-series (ethylene glycol-based, including 2…

Microplastics are particles of plastic less than 5 mm in size, including nanoplastics smaller than 1 micrometre. The kitchen is one of the highest-density zones of microplastic release in the home — scratched non-stic…

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by moulds (fungi) that contaminate food and animal feed. They are among the most widespread food contaminants globally, affecting an estimated 25% of the world's foo…

Sodium nitrate (E251) and sodium nitrite (E250) are added to processed and cured meats as preservatives, colour fixatives, and to prevent Clostridium botulinum growth. In the acidic environment of the stomach and at h…

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a reddish-brown gas produced by combustion — primarily from vehicle engines, power stations, and gas appliances. It is one of a family of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) regulated as major air pollutan…

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of 209 persistent organochlorine compounds manufactured between the 1930s and 1970s for use as electrical insulating fluids, hydraulic oils, and flame retardants. They wer…

PFAS are a family of over 12,000 synthetic chemicals defined by their extremely strong carbon-fluorine bonds — the strongest in organic chemistry. This is why they do not break down: in the environment, or in the huma…

Phosphates — primarily sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) — were the backbone of dishwasher and laundry detergent formulations for decades, acting as water softeners, builders, and food-soil dispersants. They were banned …

Phthalates are a family of plasticisers and fragrance fixatives found in an enormous range of products — from PVC flooring to nail varnish to the fragrance in shampoo. They are among the most extensively studied endoc…

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs or "quats") are a large family of synthetic antimicrobial chemicals used as disinfectants, preservatives, and surfactants. They are found in kitchen sprays, bathroom disinfectants, …

Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) is the most widely used synthetic surfactant in foaming consumer products — dish soaps, washing-up liquids, laundry detergents, shampoos, and toothpastes. It is an anionic surfactant that …

Styrene is a colourless, oily liquid with a distinctive sweet smell used to manufacture polystyrene plastics, synthetic rubber, resins, and fibreglass. It is classified as a possible human carcinogen (IARC Group 2B) a…

Triclosan is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent once ubiquitous in soaps, toothpastes and kitchen products. It was banned from rinse-off products in the US in 2016 and from most EU cosmetics in 2014, but remains in …