The Effects of Vinegar and Bleach on the Environment and Human Health

Vinegar has can possibly have harmful effects on human health. If for some reason vinegar comes in contact with your eye it can cause irritation lasting for hours if not treated correctly, and if inhaled it can cause mild irritation to the throat. Vinegar has only superficial effects on the environment, when using it in your house to clean tabletops, kill mold etc then it is completely safe for the household environment, when vinegar ends up in our oceans and lakes is when it can become potentially harmful because of the acetic acid causing acidity in the water. All in all, vinegar is safe, non toxic cleaner and can be more effective if combined with other chemicals.

Household bleach is usually diluted (water added to it)  but bleach is a much more effective disinfecting agent but a significantly more harmful to the environment and human health. The production of bleach is extremely harmful to the environment as it releases dioxins when produced, it can release toxic gases in your house as well. If bleach comes in contact with your skin it can result in burning, irritation, pigment lightening, and possibly permanent tissue damage if not treated immediately. When bleach gets in one's eye then it will cause immediate damage that could last for hours even if washed out immidiately. Many factories and industries dump bleach into lakes which means the bleach could potentially chemically react with minerals in the water, releasing dioxins, these dioxins that get into the air and water supply are dangerous to the wildlife in those areas. Another harmful effect of chlorine bleach is the way that it depletes the ozone layer when emited as gas.