Dioxin

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  Although most bleach contains little chlorine, other disinfectants, detergent, water and paper products contain chemicals that can break down into organochlorines and dioxin---a deadly carcinogen.
  
  

Alkalis

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  Detergents contain surfactants like sodium hydroxide that break the surface tension of water to get to dirt and grease. Contact with this substance damages skin; ingestion or contact with eyes damages tissue and mucous membranes.
  
  

Formaldehyde

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  Formaldehyde (formalin), commonly used in dish soaps, paper products and disinfectants, is a neurotoxin and, in high concentrations, a carcinogen; it also becomes a volatile organic compound with increases in temperature.
  
  

Phosphates

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  Phosphates soften water---they're also super-fertilizers that "overdose" any plant or animal life they touch. Although outlawed in most detergents, they're still present in dishwasher detergents.
  
  

Volitile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

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  VOC'S like ethylene-based glycol ethers and isopropyl alcohol are found in a wide range of aerosols and pump sprays, and can cause irritation and respiratory problems. Methylene chloride, found in waxes and degreasers, is a carcinogen.
  
  

Terpenes

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  Pine, lemon and orange oils in solvents and many products contribute to the formation of ozone in closed areas.
  
  

Ozone

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  Although ozone is not present in cleaners, the ozone in smog and some ozone-producing deodorizers reacts with many of the chemicals in commonly used cleaners to form toxic compounds, including formaldehyde.