The "natural" and "organic" products industry is booming. In a world which seems increasingly full of chemicals, many people are turning to "green" products, expecting them to be safer and healthier for their bodies than traditional ones. However, independent lab tests have uncovered that major brands of personal care products such as shampoo, shower gel, and dish soap marketed as natural or organic in fact contain a potentially dangerous chemical.

A report recently released by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), a consumer advocacy group, said that 46 of the 100 "natural" and "organic" products they tested contained 1,4-dioxane, a petroleum-based solvent which the Environmental Protection Agency has declared a probable human carcinogen (known to cause cancer in lab animals). Among other things, it could also be a kidney neurotoxicant and respiratory toxicant.

This carcinogen is not intentionally added to the products, but is a byproduct of the petrochemical Ethylene Oxide. While this substance is commonly found in traditional soaps and shampoos, the presence of the chemical in personal care and housecleaning products which are marketed as being natural, organic, or green is, to say the least, surprising. And according to the study, use of the chemical is not certified under the USDA National Organic Program for use in products labeled "natural" or "organic."

These new findings add more fuel to a five-year battle over marketing claims which has divided the natural-products industry. The OCA said that the presence of 1,4-dioxane not only poses a health risk but undermines natural and organic claims by some manufacturers. ¡°For companies to knowingly or even carelessly put a carcinogen into commerce in this day and age is barbaric, I think, particularly products that have the moniker of natural or self-proclaimed ¡®organic,¡¯¡± said David Steinberg, author, consumer advocate and director of the study. ¡°We need standards,¡± he added.

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