Over 2000 household chemicals have been linked to health problems such as asthma and cancer.

Question

The article goes into detail about how VOCs (volitile organic compounds) are found in thousands of different household chemicals and have been shown to lead to numerous health risks including asthma and cancer.

Comments

The article is published by CNN Health which is a notable resource that typically shares well-researched topics and information. Taking a deeper look into the content of the article, the author chooses to include a variety of outside sources to enforce the claim that household chemical can cause health problems. When making links to outside sources, the author makes sure to state the information along side the specific name and status of where the data was found. I was able to look up these names like Tasha Stoiber and Jennie Romer and cross references to see if they are reliable sources. All of the people mentioned had some background in regards to health and they contained large scientific titles. Since many of those who were quoted work on health studies, the articles claim is more justifiable. However, when putting focus on the part of the statement that says "2000 household chemicals" are linked to health issues, it seems like a dramatic claim. Yes, the article states that there are a lot of chemicals causing problems, but they don't share enough information for readers to believe in the number 2000. To find further evidence of credibility on this claim, I looked up how many household chemicals lead to health issues to see if other sources had similar statements. There was no other articles that I saw that specifically said 2000 chemicals; in fact most of the articles shared a different number. I still think that the CNN article is accurate but they should focus their statement on the general idea that household chemicals cause health issues. They shouldn't claim a specific number unless there is evidence to support it.

Answer 1

Likely not misinformation.

The EWG found that many household cleaning chemicals are linked to health risks. They have been found to cause asthma and other respiratory problems in previously healthy people, and some have been found to contain certain preservatives that release cancer causing formaldehyde. In addition, the EPA found that these VOCs are significantly stronger and more dangerous when used indoors.

Sources: https://www.ewg.org/cleaners/content/health-risks/

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality

Comments

I really liked how you have multiple sources that backs up your answer with a good explanation of what you learned and found in each source and you go into detail as to what can be found and what it can cause.

Answer 2

This claim is likely correct however there is some misinformation in the hook statement. The article does not directly confirm nor have evidence that all of the 200,000 cleaning ingredients are linked to health issues. However the article stated there is a possibility that they have links to health issues. Claiming something as indefinite and completely one way takes away the reliability because it doesn't share the whole story or fact claim.