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United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

Fact Sheet
Household Products Database

four images, of bucket of cleaning supplies, child's hand in finger paint, washing machine detergent and toothbrush/toothpaste

Some household products contain substances that can pose health risks if they are ingested or inhaled, or if they come into contact with eyes and skin. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Household Products Database (http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov) is a consumer's guide that provides information on the potential health effects of chemicals contained in more than 5,000 common household products used inside and around the home. This database allows scientists and consumers to find out about ingredients in brand-name products. It is designed to help answer questions like these:

The database allows users to browse a product category, such as 'Pesticides' or 'Personal Care,' by alphabetical listing of brand names. Products can also be searched by type, manufacturer, product ingredient/chemical name and by health effects.

The record for each product shows the ingredients as reported in the manufacturer's Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and includes other information such as handling, disposal, and health effects. For more technical information from other NLM resources, users can launch a search for a product or ingredient in TOXNET® from the "Product" page in the database. Users can also search PubMed from the "Chemical Information Page" to find effects of the chemicals to humans in the published biomedical literature.

For more information, contact:

Specialized Information Services
National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
Department of Health and Human Services
6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 510, MSC 5467
Bethesda, MD 20892-5467
Toll Free: 1-888-FINDNLM
E-mail: tehip@teh.nlm.nih.gov
URL: http://sis.nlm.nih.gov

A complete list of NLM Fact Sheets is available at:
(alphabetical list) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/factsheets.html
(subject list): http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/factsubj.html

Or write to:

FACT SHEETS
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20894

Phone: (301) 496-6308
Fax: (301) 496-4450
email: publicinfo@nlm.nih.gov

Last updated: 31 August 2004
First published: 18 November 2003
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanent: Stable Content