Demystifying household chemicals: Toluene

Spray paint contains the
toxic chemical toluene
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos

"Demystifying household chemicals" is a series that aims to inform people on the types of chemicals found in and around our homes. The series will be featured every Wednesday where a different chemical, and its everyday uses, will be discussed.

It may seem daunting to look at the list of ingredients on the back of a label and try to figure out what all those scientific words mean.  But knowing what they are and how they can affect you and your family are very important. 

Toluene is a clear liquid that has a very distinct smell. You know that strong smell you find in paint thinners? That’s toluene. It is a common ingredient found in many of our household products. 

Toluene is also an aromatic hydrocarbon, like Xylene (discussed in a previous entry), and is most commonly used as a solvent. 

This chemical, though not considered carcinogenic, can have very severe consequences. While toluene naturally occurs in liquid form, it can also be found in gas form, such as in aerosols. 

Inhaling this chemical can cause drowsiness, numbness, nausea and headaches. Irritations to the nose, throat and skin may also occur. There have been instances where toluene has been inhaled for recreational purposes, which results in a chemical high resembling drunkenness.

Exposure to this chemical in confined spaces can affect the central nervous system and in extreme cases, cause unconsciousness and even death.  

The most common household products that contain toluene include:

•         Spray paints
•         Primers
•         Multipurpose cleaners (liquid or aerosol)
•         Contact cement
•         Floor polish
•         Paint thinners
•         Bathmats
•         Wood sealers
•         Some coloring pens and markers

Many people store the products above in the basement or garage. If possible, apply these products outdoors to help reduce the chances of the vapors entering the home. If work needs to be done inside the garage, keep the doors open during that time.  

Keeping your indoor air quality safe

AllerAir's numerical series is made
for odor and chemical control

When working inside the home, make sure to keep all windows and doors open to allow for maximum ventilation or use an air purifier. 

AllerAir’s 5000 or 6000 DX Vocarb air purifier was conceived for the purpose of dealing with spaces that have high concentrations of airborne chemicals, odors and volatile organic chemicals. 

After completing the work on your rooms, set the air purifier at the lowest setting throughout the night or until the windows are opened again the next day. 

Keeping it at the lowest setting will allow the chemicals to be adsorbed more quickly by the activated carbon filter within the air purifier.

Do you have any questions about toluene or how our air purifiers can help keep your home safe? Post your questions or comments here and we'll be happy to respond.

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Contact us at AllerAir for more information on our products.

Extreme weather caused by air pollution: Study

Weather extremes like drought and flooding can affect your indoor air quality, health and well-being

Cloud formation can be influenced by aerosols in the air,
researchers say, and lead to extreme weather conditions.

A new study shows that increases in air pollution and other particulate matter in the atmosphere can influence the way clouds are formed and therefore reduce rainfalls in dry regions and seasons.

At the same time, the phenomenon may lead to more rain, snowfalls and severe storms in wet regions or seasons, the researchers found.

The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience and provides evidence how aerosols (soot, dust and other particulates) can affect weather and climate.

"Using a 10-year data set of atmospheric measurements, we have uncovered the long-term, net impact of aerosols on cloud height and thickness and the resulting changes in precipitation frequency and intensity," says Zhanqing Li, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Maryland and lead author of a paper reporting the results.

The scientific community is trying to understand aerosols’ effects on cloud and precipitation development, human activities’ effects on climate change and other issues related to air pollution, disaster relief and water resource management, for example.

Aerosols are tiny solid particles or liquid particles suspended in air and can include soot, dust and sulfate particles (as in smog).

The researchers found that aerosols can impact the heating and phase changes (like condensing and freezing) of clouds, which can either inhibit or intensify clouds and precipitation.

Fires contribute to aerosol
levels in the air.

Aerosols come from the combustion of fossil fuels, industrial processes, agricultural activities and field and forest fires.

Source: National Science Foundation

Air pollution and extreme weather can lead to poor indoor air quality

Whether it’s air pollution from outside seeping in, airborne dust particles turning up everywhere or flooding in the home – extreme weather conditions can wreak havoc on the air quality inside and your personal health and well-being.

When it comes to extreme weather, it’s often best to leave windows closed, reduce chemical use indoors, change the filters for the HVAC system and continuously run an air purifier with a multistage filtration system.

AllerAir specializes in air purifiers designed to remove odors, chemicals, dust, particles, bacteria, viruses, mold as well as many other pollutants.

Among the specialized units are air purifiers for mold (which often becomes an issue after floods), air purifiers for allergies and asthma (superior particle control and odor removal) and general purpose air purifiers.

To find out which one is best for your home or office, consult our model selection and sizing guides or contact us directly.