The study analyzed 26 papers and data-sets to find a “bigger picture” of what chemicals were in household dust.
Advertisement
“Individual consumers do have some power to make healthier homes and to reduce individual exposures”, said Zota.
“Indoor dust is a reservoir for consumer-product chemicals”, Zota said. Phthalates make plastic softer and more flexible, so they tend to be found in vinyl (PVC) materials such as flooring, blinds and food packaging.
What’s more, 10 of these chemicals were present in 90 percent of the dust samples collected, which suggests that many people are exposed to these substances, the researchers said. For numerous chemicals, we don’t yet know what amount should be considered hazardous for long-term exposure, Zota says.
But most of the chemicals of concern aren’t regulated to limit such exposure and aren’t likely to be controlled for that goal anytime soon.
They calculated any given home is likely to have some combination of 45 chemicals linked to a serious health disorder. One type of this chemical has been associated with cancer risk.
Phthalates such as DEP, DEHP, DNBP, and DIBP, are not only found at the highest concentrations in dust but are associated with many serious health hazards. Further, the small sample sizes and convenience populations used in most studies make it hard to assess generalizability to a broader population.
Dr. Kenneth Spaeth is chief of occupational and environmental medicine for Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y. He said the presence of these potentially harmful chemicals in homes has been known for some time and is worthy of some concern. “That includes sleeping and most of our daily life”. Their vulnerability is increased because of their still-developing bodies.
However, Spaeth added that further research needs to be conducted on whether dust-borne chemicals actually lead to health problems.
“The number and levels of toxic chemicals that are likely in every one of our living rooms was shocking to me”, Veena Singla, a co-author of the study and a staff scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in an announcement about the findings. Other phenols and flame retardant chemicals were also found in the dust. In the meantime, though, both Zota and Woodruff note that washing your hands before you eat can significantly reduce your accidental intake of the chemicals found in dust. Phthalates are thought to interfere with hormones in the body. The chemicals found in the dust have been linked to a range of issues, including obesity and reproductive problems, Zota told CTV News Channel Wednesday.
Indoor dust consistently contains four classes of harmful chemicals in high amounts.
These may be worrisome when they accumulate in household dust, the researchers say. Phthalates, substances that are used to make cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring, and other products, were found in the highest concentration with a mean of 7,682 nanograms per gram of dust-an amount that was several orders of magnitude above the others. This chemical belongs to a hazardous class called phthalates. Flame retardants help products meet flammability standards that are built into building codes, insurance requirements and fire regulations. TCEP is added to couches, baby products, electronics and other products.
This flame retardant is frequently found in furniture, baby products and other household items. These chemicals have been linked to problems of the immune, digestive, developmental and endocrine systems, the study authors said.
Which means that we’re on our own for dealing with this form of almost unseen chemical pollution, and about the only responses available are to clean more often, maybe upgrade the filters in the vacuum cleaner and heating/cooling systems. oh, yes, and wash those hands.
Zota encourages people to wash their hands and their children’s hands frequently and to read labels to avoid using products with the problematic chemicals.
Opening windows, to allow fresh-air circulation. Even walking on the downhill side of the road, she says, rather than the uphill side where drivers burn more fuel as they accelerate, may make a difference.
The meta-analysis, “Consumer product chemicals in indoor dust: a quantitative meta-analysis of US studies”, appeared September 14 in Environmental Science & Technology.
Advertisement
For more on indoor environmental quality, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
