Indoor environments can expose consumers, including young children, to a wide variety of potentially harmful chemicals in the air, water, personal care products, and even in household dust. Such chemicals have been linked to a wide range of serious health issues, such as declines in IQ and numerous health problems of the immune, digestive, developmental and endocrine systems.
In a commentary published on July 29, Ami Zota, ScD, MS, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University and her colleagues urge public health officials, scientists, policymakers, business leaders and consumers to take steps now to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals found in homes across the United States.
The commentary draws on findings from a study published in September 2016 that showed household dust contains a wide array of toxic chemicals from consumer products, furniture, electronics and other common items. That meta-analysis by Zota and a multi-institutional team of colleagues identified the top ten toxic chemicals found in household dust. DEHP, a chemical belonging to a hazardous class of plasticizers, was number one on that list. In addition, the researchers found that overall phthalates were found at the highest levels in dust followed by phenols and flame retardant chemicals.
Chemicals from consumer products are released into the air and then get into the dust which can be inhaled, ingested or even absorbed through the skin. Children are at particular risk for exposure to chemical-laden dust because they crawl or play on the floor and often put toys or other items in their mouths, Zota says.
What can be done? Individuals can take steps to reduce exposure to chemicals that are already in the home. For example, hand-washing, especially before meals, reduces exposure to flame retardant chemicals and presumably other hazardous chemicals. Consumers can also avoid some potentially dangerous chemicals by picking fragrance-free household or personal care products. And to make task easier, consumers can turn to online guides or mobile phone apps that can help them pick out items that do not contain hazardous chemicals, say Zota and her colleagues.
More states could adopt policies or laws aimed at protecting consumers and particularly children from exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. At the federal level, the revised Toxic Substances Control Act could help tighten up regulation of industrial and consumer product chemicals. The new law may result in better protection for human and environmental health but only if it is implemented correctly, the authors point out.
The commentary, Reducing chemical exposures at home: opportunities for action, was published on July 29 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. Other authors of the commentary include Veena Singla, PhD, staff scientist at the National Resources Defense Council and Robin Dodson, ScD, an environmental exposure scientist at Silent Spring Institute.