More than 100 types of common consumer products contain at least one, often many more, chemicals that are linked to cancer or reproductive and developmental problems, according to research published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Many of the chemicals were found in personal care products, including nail polish, shampoo, lotion and soap. Cleaning products, especially all-purpose cleaners, detergents and washing-up liquid, also contained many chemicals, writes the New York Times.

The largest group of products are those used in workplaces, for example in factories or on construction sites and included adhesives, degreasers, lubricants and sealants.

What struck us was the extent of the exposure, says Kristin Knox, researcher at the Silent Spring Institute, who led the research.

People can be exposed to the same chemical in a whole range of different products. Some products also contain many different chemicals, she added.

Kurunthachalam Kannan, a professor at New York University Langone Health who studies human exposure to toxic substances and was not involved in the study, said the results did not surprise him.

These volatile organic compounds are found in almost every product we use: consumer products, personal care products, cosmetics, he said.

The researchers also identified 11 of the chemicals and 30 of the product categories “as immediate targets for regulatory restriction or manufacturer redesign.”

About two-thirds of products containing toxic chemicals are personal care or cleaning products that people use at home.

Many of them were also used by professional cleaners, car mechanics, construction workers or hair and nail salon employees, who are potentially exposed to higher levels of the chemicals than the average consumer.

According to the researchers, one of the most worrisome chemicals identified was diethanolamine, or DEA, which is classified as a possible carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and is banned from use in cosmetics in Canada and the European Union. DEA was listed as an ingredient in 40 products in the US, including soaps, creams, hair products and cleaning products.

The preservative formaldehyde was also at the top of the list. It is a known carcinogen, which is also banned in cosmetics in the EU and was found in 17 product categories.

Formaldehyde has been the focus of several studies that have evaluated the air quality in nail salons.