Hello, I guess I don't understand how one knows that the products here are actually safe. I am sure that they are because there are so many professionals looking at these products and I'm sure someone would have said something by now if they weren't. I'm just trying to understand.

I was looking for instance at the MSDS sheet for Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwasher Gel (http://www.seventhgeneration.com/files/assets/pdf/msds/English/Automatic...)

It lists the chemical name, its concentration, its CAS number, the exposure limits and the toxicity data. I know that I read that a company doesn't have to put the ingredient on the MSDS unless it has been shown to cause degrading effects on human or the environment ("Employers shall have a material safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use." http://www.ilpi.com/msds/osha/1910_1200.html#1910.1200(g)(2) The term "hazardous" is defined in a link off of this document.)

So, that leads me to believe that the chemicals listed are, by definition, "chemical[s] for which there is statistically significant evidence based on at least one study conducted in accordance with established scientific principles that acute or chronic health effects may occur in exposed employees.".

So, ok, that is fine. How are the risks mitigated? I have a feeling that I'm supposed to look at the exposure limits or the toxicity data LD50. I'm not trying to poke holes in Seventh Generation products. In fact, I want to believe the opposite -- that they are safe to use.

Please help me understand how to understand this MSDS/product safety. I had formerly been looking for Green Seal-certified products. I know that Seventh Generation doesn't verify their products this way.

Thanks,
Patricia, a Seventh Generation product enthusiast as well as a scientifically-minded individual