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Household chemicals linked to kids' asthma



 
 
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Old October 1st 04, 03:44 AM
Roman Bystrianyk
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Default Household chemicals linked to kids' asthma

http://www.healthsentinel.com/news.p...st_item&id=290

Elizabeth Weise, "Household chemicals linked to kids' asthma", USA
Today, September 29, 2004,
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...hemicals_x.htm

The chemical compounds that keep our leftovers fresh and make our
floors easy to clean may be a factor in the rising levels of asthma
and allergies in children around the world over the past 30 years.

Five million U.S. children have asthma and 10%-20% of infants have
eczema, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the cost of
treating asthma in these children at $3.2 billion per year.

An extensive study of Swedish children found that house dust
containing the softeners in plastic that give flexibility to food
containers, vinyl floor tiles and cling wrap is associated with higher
rates of asthma, eczema and other allergy symptoms.

The compounds, phthalates (THALL ates), are widely used in
moisturizers, nail polish, insect repellants, shower curtains,
hairsprays and building products such as polyvinyl chloride flooring.

Because they leach out of products, they are considered ubiquitous
environmental contaminants. Global phthalate production is 3.8 million
tons per year. "We've measured lots of things and there are no other
factors that have shown this kind of raised risk," says Carl-Gustaf
Bornehag of the Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, lead
study author.

The study was published in the October edition of Environmental Health
Perspectives.

While Bornehag says the research doesn't contain enough evidence "to
make us recommend that parents throw out everything that's plastic in
their home," he called for serious and rapid research to confirm the
findings.

The American Chemistry Council notes that it's hard to tell whether
phthalates are the cause of the children's asthma, or an effect.

"It is common practice to replace carpeting with smooth, easy-to-clean
surfaces, such as vinyl, in the homes of children suffering from
asthma, in order to reduce dust," the council's Marian Stanley says.
"So the question is, do the children have asthma because of the vinyl
on the floor, or is there vinyl on the floor because they have
asthma?"
 




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