However, there are many potential product defects that are not as easy to find as a broken leg on a coffee table or a tear on a shirt. Scientists have found that the chemicals contained in our daily necessities are more toxic than originally thought. Partly because chemicals are widely used in our daily life, the National Toxicology Data System estimates that there will be 4 million poisoning incidents in the United States every year.
There is no denying that chemicals make our life more comfortable and convenient. Thanks to them, mosquitoes can no longer harass us; Thanks to them, moths no longer eat our clothes. Thanks to them, our house can keep the fragrance of morning dew in spring. However, the US Environmental Protection Agency recently concluded that indoor air pollution may be more serious than outdoor air pollution. And considering that we spend nearly 90% of our time indoors, it seems that our warm home is not so safe.
Where do these toxins come from? What measures can we take? After reading the ten most poisonous common items introduced next, you may want to consider whether to buy them home next time.
(Note: This article is for reference only. Before making a purchase decision, please study whether the product is toxic. )
1. mothballs
Mothballs can make clothes give off a unique smell. Because moths bite holes in clothes or other textiles, many people pack mothballs to repel insects. But you certainly don't want to inhale too much gas sublimated from mothballs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency even asked mothballs manufacturers to warn "avoid inhalation" on the packaging.
In the study of p-dichlorobenzene, a common raw material in camphor balls, it is found that it can cause cancer in animals. Although scientists have not confirmed that p-dichlorobenzene can cause cancer in humans, the evidence obtained from animal experiments is enough to urge people to use this substance cautiously. There are also some mothballs containing naphthalene, and frequent contact with naphthalene can cause red blood cell damage. This chemical can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
If you must use mothballs, please put them in a sealed container and keep the room ventilated. And before you wear these clothes, you must wash them again, because those smells have been sucked into the fibers of the clothes.
2. Insecticide
Insecticide is one of the most commonly used modern household items. It is reported that 90% households in the United States use various forms of pesticides. Insecticides cover a wide range, including various chemicals, which can kill everything from microorganisms to rodents. Can include pesticides, fungicides, disinfectants or other products. Because they are toxic, the US Environmental Protection Agency requires manufacturers to indicate the degree of toxicity on the product packaging.
Although pesticides will undergo various tests before entering the market, you should use them carefully and store them out of the reach of children. In 2006 alone, the US Poison Control Center received nearly 46,000 phone calls about children under 5 years old being exposed to toxic pesticides. Most accidental contact occurs indoors, so be sure to keep indoor ventilation after using pesticides. In addition, before buying pesticides, it is necessary to know their chemical composition and safe use in detail.
Step 3 compress the bone plate
Compression board is widely used in furniture decoration. This kind of artificial board, like a hot dog in a wooden product, presses odds and ends together. Compressed board products also include particleboard, fiberboard, insulation board and other home decoration products.
However, the glue that binds wood together will do great harm to human body. It is estimated that the resin urea-formaldehyde used in some compression plates is the biggest source of indoor formaldehyde release. With the increase of temperature and humidity, the formaldehyde emission may be higher.
Formaldehyde is dangerous, which may lead to tears in eyes, burning throat, dyspnea and asthma. Scientists have confirmed that it may also cause cancer in animals, and it is also possible for humans.
Due to the limitation of building materials and narrow space, prefabricated houses often release high levels of formaldehyde. In February 2008, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a preliminary report detailing the problems faced by victims living in temporary houses along the Gulf Coast due to hurricane disasters. Due to long-term exposure to formaldehyde, the prevalence rate of residents has increased abnormally.
If you live in an old house made of compressed board or insulating board, that's actually good news, because they release less formaldehyde because of their age. In addition, using dryers and air conditioners to keep the indoor environment dry can reduce formaldehyde emissions. Nowadays, the control of formaldehyde emission from compressed plate products is more stringent.
4. Chemicals in carpets
Indoor carpets are controversial because of volatile organic compounds. Although the carpet itself is not dangerous, health problems related to it sometimes occur.
As we all know, the glue and dyes used in carpets will release volatile organic compounds, which will be harmful to human health if the concentration is high. But usually, after a few days of carpet laying, the volatile organic compounds will be reduced a lot.
Scientists are still studying what chemicals will be released from the new carpet and whether it is dangerous to ordinary people. In order to reduce this hazard, some carpet manufacturers continue to test indoor air quality problems related to carpets.
To be on the safe side, you can ask the carpet retailer to hang it for a few days before taking it home. In order to reduce volatile organic compounds, you should also keep the new carpet area well ventilated.
5. Chemicals contained in laser printers
A study by Queensland University of Technology in Australia in 2007 found that ultrafine particles released by some laser printers may cause serious health problems. Another study by the National Institutes of Health confirmed that lasers and inkjet printers release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone and particles.
Tests so far show that the concentration of released particles will return to normal level within a few minutes. But in severe cases, they may be related to heart disease and lung disease. For this reason, the greatest significance of this study is that when your company adjusts its layout, you should be careful not to arrange employees next to printers.
Not all printers have this problem. A test study on printers in Queensland found that 40% printers release ultra-fine particles, while 27% printers release high concentrations. According to the printer's type, service life and toner, its emissions are different.
In response to these findings, companies including Xerox and Hewlett-Packard have publicly denied that their products will harm human health. Xerox said that it has been conducting experiments on the effects of toner on human health.
If you are choosing a new printer, you'd better study their environmental problems more.
6. Lead paint
199 1 year, the U.S. government declared that lead is the biggest environmental threat to children. It is not difficult to imagine that lead will also have a bad influence on adults. Even low concentrations of lead can damage the central nervous system, brain, hematopoietic cells and kidneys. It poses a greater threat to fetuses, infants and children because lead can lead to mental retardation.
The controversy caused by lead paint has a long history. Many houses built twenty or thirty years ago used lead paint. Lead paint with a good surface will not threaten your life. But once the paint layer starts to fall off, it will release lead particles that are harmful to the body. For this reason, please don't try to polish, scrape or burn lead paint yourself, because it will release toxic metals. Please find a professional to handle it.
At the end of 2007, a large number of toys in China were recalled because the same type of paint was tried. Retailers worry that paint inhaled by children may cause brain damage.
7. Air freshener
Air fresheners can purify our indoor environment. However, a study at the University of California, Berkeley found that when the fresheners are used excessively in narrow spaces and poorly ventilated areas, these products will release toxic pollutants, mainly vinyl glyceryl ethers and terpenes. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined that ether itself is toxic, and non-toxic terpenes will combine with ozone in the air to form toxic substances.
Air fresheners are related to many volatile organic compounds, such as nitrogen dioxide. The concentration of this substance indoors is 2 to 5 times that of outdoors, which may cause cancer in some animals. Some fresheners also contain p-dichlorobenzene, which also appears in the mothballs we discussed earlier.
Keeping the toilet clean or using air freshener will not make you sick, but you must take preventive measures before cleaning to keep the indoor air circulating.
8. Plastic bottles and bisphenol A
Canada has taken preliminary measures to ban the sale of polycarbonate plastic baby bottles, which are the most common baby bottles on the market. cause and reason
This is because this plastic is made of chemicals containing bisphenol A. When heated, their bottles will release bisphenol A..
What's wrong with adding a little bisphenol A to baby milk powder? The structure of bisphenol A is very similar to estrogen, and it is called "hormone disruptor". As the name implies, hormone disruptors can interfere with human hormones, especially for young children. According to extensive research by environmental protection and health agencies in the United States and Canada, products containing bisphenol A may have adverse effects on the neural development of the fetus.
A study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 93% of the participants detected bisphenol A ... among them, the concentration in children was the highest. Other common products containing bisphenol A include plastic bottles, compact discs and some plastic tableware.
9. Flame retardant
Flame retardants are widely used in mattresses, cushions, circuit boards, televisions and computer casings. It can be said that the flame retardant has saved many families from heavy losses caused by accidental fires. However, scientists have also discovered the dark side of the chemical hero, a substance called PBDE, which exists in many plastic consumer goods. Due to the threat to health, two kinds of PBDEs were no longer used in American manufacturing industry in 2004. However, products containing these substances and its derivative decabromodiphenyl ether cannot be completely eradicated.
Studies have confirmed that PBDEs have adverse effects on learning ability and memory ability, and also reduce the number of sperm and weaken the thyroid function of mice. Other animal studies have shown that PBDEs may cause human cancer, but this judgment has not been fully confirmed.
People may ingest this chemical by breathing air or eating animal products containing it. Once they enter the human body, they will take root and sprout in our body. These chemicals spread quickly.
For humans, PBDEs can accumulate in women's uterus and milk and be passed from mother to baby. Moreover, the centers for disease control and prevention in the United States also found that almost all subjects had PBDEs in different degrees. This shows how dangerous this substance is.
10. Cosmetics containing phthalates
Watch out! Your favorite beauty product may contain a terrible ingredient. Phthalates, also known as plasticizers, may appear in many bottles and cans, including hair gel, shampoo, perfume, deodorant, and even your favorite rubber duck. Phthalates can not only enhance the durability and ductility of plastic products, but also maintain the color and fragrance of beauty products for a long time.
Why worry about this chemical additive? Like bisphenol A mentioned above, phthalates are hormone chemicals, which are related to the reproduction and development of animals. Because of this discovery, some parts of the United States have banned the addition of phthalates to children's toys. Phthalates should not be added to baby pacifiers, rattles and tooth rings.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to conduct more research on the role of phthalic acid until its safety is determined. However, the agency believes that in addition to the above effects, phthalic acid will also reduce the sperm count of boys and slow down the breast development of girls. In terms of beauty products, the Food and Drug Administration believes that beauty products containing this substance are safe for adults, but whether they have potential effects on infants and children needs further study.