Insects that live on the surface of the water are also badly affected. Poisons Household poisons can have a direct and poisonous effect on wildlife. Even in low concentrations they are passed along the food chain and have a less visible but long term harmful effect. Certain household products, e.g. pesticides, solvents, cleaning fluids, metal polishes, fingernail polish, insecticides have S4 labels and are poisonous to the environment. These products should not go down the sink.
Most toilet cleaners work by killing harmful bacteria in the toilet.
They can also affect the helpful bacteria in sewage treatment plants, reducing their ability to clean up our waste water before it is discharged into the environment. Most heavy metals in waterways come from industrial wastes. They are also found in homes in a variety of products such as oil based paints and petrol. Heavy metals can build up in animal and plant tissues and can be highly toxic. They can also interfere with the ability of sewage treatment plants to clean up our waste water before it is discharged into the environment.