Our continuing research in the many fields in which hydrogen peroxide plays a role over the last few months has been enlightening to say the least.

The pervasive consumer products industries in home, health and personal care sectors continues, for the most part, to undermine most common and simple uses of hydrogen peroxide. Yet evidence is clear that hydrogen peroxide is an effective anti viral, anti microbial and anti bacterial agent in fields as far ranging as agriculture, aqua culture, water treatment, animal husbandry, and even in the “war on terror”.

Coffee filters, toilet paper and hundreds of other consumer products are now touting “Oxygen” bleached properties… yet no one uses
those conspicuous two words: “hydrogen peroxide” when discussing this new “environmentally safe alternative to chlorine”. They tell
us it is environmentally safe and that the bleaching agent is oxygen… and carefully sidestep the issue of what FORM of oxygen is used.

It’s simple really; they used to use chlorine dioxide; now they use hydrogen dioxide; or hydrogen peroxide… (look it up in Merck Index; dioxide and peroxide are interchangeable words). Learn something new every day, I can guarantee you that has been happening around here.

This week we learned so much we had to take a step back to take it all in. But this one tidbit of information seemed important enough
to get out on the site right away:

According to MoAA News; the newsletter of the Missouri Aquaculture Community, a new “Drug” is being introduced for use in aquaculture to prevent certain prevalent fish diseases… It’s name? 35% Perox Aid (registered trademark)…

Let’s take a look at how this new drug is being marketed. Here is an excerpt from the newsletter:

The first new waterborne drug approved for a disease claim for any aquatic species in more than twenty years.The second aquaculture drug to gain designation under the Minor Use and Minor Species (MUMS) Animal Health Act which entitles Eka Chemicals, Inc. to seven years of exclusivity for marketing rights for the approved label claims.

The first new aquaculture drug with an original approval covering multiple label claims for use in a variety of finfish species 35% Perox-Aid® is approved with over-the-counter marketing status and has no  equirement for an acceptable daily intake, tolerance, withdrawal time, or regulatory method. Eka Chemicals Inc. has licensed Western Chemical Inc. as the sole distributor of 35% Perox-Aid®.

This first new approval is as recent as January 2007; it’s announcement is in the March Issue of MoAA; and it is clearly the latest successful translation of food grade hydrogen peroxide into a branded exclusive “drug” product; overcoming poor hydrogen peroxide’s only major crime to date: Not being “economically viable”; whether it’s in the field of medicine, home cleaning or food production, hydrogen peroxide is simply too inexpensive and too effective to be marketed with any real economic “viability”.

Ah, if only we could turn it into an exclusive “drug”…

The news these days is full of new product releases from natural toothpastes to green cleaning products…

But are they really? And how could you tell?

With toothpaste there is a required list of ingredients on the label, which is some help…

But with cleaning products, in many cases there is no ingredient list; and none is currently required. So what’s a green shopper to do?

Well, you could just start replacing cleaning products withhydrogen peroxide, baking soda, sodium percarbonate and acetic acid… (that’s white vinegar, btw)

Or you could check labels on green cleaning products and if there are no ingredients listed, either choose to call the manufacturer, or, choose another product which does provide an ingredient list…

The new surge of interest and of scrutiny being applied to “green cleaning products” may ultimately change the rules for ingredient lists on products, but in the short term, supporting companies who provide the ingredient information is a best practice for smart consumerism.

And don’t forget that “green” is not only about what is in the package but about how much packaging and energy goes in to getting the package to you… Avoid excess boxing, wrapping, containers and look for local products where possible.

And as always, hydrogen peroxide wins awards for all these, with nothing extra: a bottle full of liquid which is recycleable when
empty… There you go!

From the Globe and Mail to local city papers across the U.S. the buzz is on about Green Cleaning this Spring.

Dierdre Imus’ new book Green This! Is just hitting the shelves and all over the landscape people are talking about how they keep house.

Stories ranging from personal encounters with white vinegar smelling up the kitchen to advice on how to transform your Spring cleaning with non-toxic alternatives and home made remedies are publishing all over the country as manufacturers scramble to explain how their toxic ingredients are not really toxic.

At the same time the next wave of “green cleaning products” is moving out across the landscape to meet this new demand. Target is adding green products to their stores; and new organic and safe cleaners for babies and families are being introduced by new companies coming into the market.

What you might not have known is that this new trend has a name… Yes, LOHAS is the name of a “trend”. To be more precise, it is a “Market Segment”, as is explained in this excerpt from the Globe and Mail:

Green thinkers belong to an increasingly important market segment called LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and sustainability), a concept originated about seven years ago from the work of sociologist Paul Ray, co-author of The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People are Changing the World.

So if you were thinking that you were the only one you knew who seems to be looking at life in a way that is “a bit green of main stream” you can see, you really aren’t alone. You’re a part of something bigger, and maybe better! A Market Segment! Whew Hoo!