How long will our planet be able to absorb the things we bury under its surface?

At one time it might have been easier to think that the world was big enough to not feel the effects of everything humans leave behind. Imagine oceans washing garbage away and lovely, green parks growing on top of landfills.

But how times change for this once kind and mild-mannered eco-system. It can only be accepting for so long. Especially when, for centuries its inhabitants have been using and abusing it to no end.

The time is running short. In the last 150 years we have tortured the earth with things that it never has and never will understand. Fossil fuels, bleach, paint, shampoo, detergent, car wax, soap, fruit punch. Huh, you say?

Tests conducted on the killing power of common consumer products that end up in our waterways reveal some startling fallacies we have held about some everyday things we use.

Here's a list of 12 such items. See if you can guess which ones are the most toxic and which are the least toxic: Car wash super concentrate, latex flat wall paint, bar of soap, hydrogen peroxide, organic shampoo, bleach, laundry detergent, acrylic paint, dish detergent, 'natural solvent' cleaners, all-purpose cleaning concentrate. and of course, fruit punch.

While you're thinking about it, consider these options when next purchasing these or similar items.

(1) Wherever possible, buy a non-toxic alternative. "The word non-toxic is generally used on those types of products that have significant known toxicity, such as cleaning products and pest controls to indicate that the product is a safer alternative to a more toxic formula. To identify products that do not contain toxic ingredients, the word non-toxic is frequently used on the label." I'd sure like to meet the rocket scientist that figured this one out!

(2) It is often easier to determine that a product is non-toxic and to choose non-toxic products by looking for labels that indicate toxicity. Of course no one is obligated to list the toxicity. Gee, I wonder why?

I'd suggest you finish your coffee before continuing, as you may not be terribly thirsty after you finish reading the list. Remember that although household bleach is the most toxic to aquatic organisms, it is also the chemical used to kill bacteria in municipal water systems.

* These measurements show at what concentration (in parts per million) these substances are lethal to aquatic organisms.

Household Bleach 4 ppm (MOST TOXIC)

'Natural Solvent' Cleaners 31 ppm

All-purpose Cleaners 36 ppm

Laundry Detergent 44 ppm

Dish Detergent 49 ppm

Car Wash and Wax 114 ppm

Acrylic Paint 275 ppm

Organic Shampoo 1300 ppm

Latex Flat Wall Paint 1650 ppm

Hydrogen Peroxide (3%) 1675 ppm

Bar Soap 10,000 ppm

Hawaiian Punch Fruit Drink 27,500 ppm (LEAST TOXIC)