Common Household Chemical May Harm Lung Function

[Herman Munster]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20060804/hl_hsn/commonhouseholdchemicalmayharmlungfunction

Air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, moth balls and other deodorizing products may be easy on the nose but tough on the lungs.

The reason: Exposure to a chemical compound commonly found in such products may cause reduced lung function and have a long-term adverse effect on respiratory health, researchers report.

This finding could be especially important for people with breathing problems, such as asthma, they add.

The study was based on a review of data for 953 adults from the 1988-1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), which included 200 non-Hispanic whites, 157 blacks and 122 Hispanics. The researchers investigated the relationship between lung function and blood levels of 11 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are released as gases by tobacco smoke, cleaning products, paints and thousands of other household products. Examples of these compounds include benzene, styrene, toluene and acetone.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Better be careful

when you put your nail varnish on. :)

[Olney Blue]

2. Imus? Is that you?

[dipsydoodle]

6. Nope

:)

[Dogmudgeon]

3. It's paradichlorobenzene

They call it 1,4-DCB in the article, but it's the same thing named with different nomenclature.

In high school chemistry, we had a lab unit where we determined the melting point of the stuff. Fortunately our chem teacher strongly advised us to keep the ventilation hoods on and not to huff the fumes.

--p!

[kestrel91316]

4. One more reason to clean with simple homemade cleaners:

various and sundry combos of vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, homemade soap, occasional ammonia, rarely bleach; and lots of elbow grease.

[leftchick]

5. Lysol Spray

I remember reading years ago how bad for your lungs it is.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. "Find one in every car..."

"...you'll see"

[KT2000]

8. Someday maybe

some politician will "discover" that the 80,000 inadequately tested chemicals dumped into our air, water and food has a direct correlation to the health crisis in this country.

Of course tons of these chemicals are neurotoxins, so maybe no one will.

[Nikki Stone 1]

9. Not to mention chlorine. A whiff of Clorox can give you a coughing fit

Not a surprise