EXPOSURE TO CLEANING PRODUCTS BOOSTS ASTHMA RISK (and more)

Exposure to cleaning products may up asthma risks. It seems that people who work cleaning other people's homes are at increased risk of asthma, suggests research in the November issue of the journal Thorax. Investigators pooled survey data on 4,521 women between the ages of 30 and 65 in Barcelona, Spain.The rates of respiratory symptoms attributable to work among domestic cleaners were more than double those of other jobs: 12% among current and former cleaners; 5% among those who had never worked as cleaners."The high risk of asthma attributable to domestic cleaning suggests a substantial public health impact, which might be even greater if we take into consideration that housewives and others doing cleaning tasks at home are probably also at risk."

Thorax - November 2003;58:950-4.

http://thoraxjnl.com/


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MORE INFORMATION BELOW:

Indoor air is becoming polluted by powerful household chemicals!

Don't take a deep breath!

Tuesday, December 23, 2003
By Don Hopey, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

So, you don't dust? Or do windows? Good for you.
Don't have wall-to-wall carpeting, a new air-tight house or a big inventory of pesticides, cleaners and cosmetics? Even better.



COMMON CONTAMINANTS
Some of the more common indoor air contaminants and their sources are:

Formaldehyde, which is known to cause cancer at high doses in rats, is emitted from glues used in furniture and carpets, also used as a cheap preservative in many personal care items.

Ozone, a lung irritant, is emitted from laser printers and copiers.

Perchloroethylene, a carcinogen, can be emitted from clothes that have been dry cleaned.

Paradichlorobenzene, another carcinogen, is emitted by mothballs and, ironically, air fresheners.

Dibutyl phthalates, tentatively identified as a carcinogen, is used in industrial solvents and many consumer products including nail polish, cosmetics, some printing inks and insecticides.

A recent study has found the dust and air trapped inside homes is likely to contain a wide variety of human reproduction-disrupting and cancer-causing chemicals. These chemicals are found in common consumer products and exposure to them could affect the health of every family member, especially those who are female.

The study of air and dust samples taken from 120 homes on Massachusetts' Cape Cod found chemicals in window cleaners, laundry detergents, cleaners, spot removers, hair dyes, nail polishes, plastics, electronics, and flame retardant carpeting and furniture turned up in potentially harmful levels.

"It appears that high-income women might be exposed to more chemicals through their personal health-care products and household cleaning products,'' said John Spengler, professor of environmental health in the Harvard School of Public Health, and a co-author of the study.
He said he expects studies of indoor air in lower-income housing would show higher exposures to chemicals contained in pesticides.

In-home contaminants are significant contributors to people's overall exposure and can have a big impact on health because people in the United States and most industrialized countries spend 65 percent of their time in their residences, studies show.

Women are more likely to be affected because they typically spend more time inside the home and work more closely with potentially toxic cleaners and personal care products like hair dyes and nail polish, Spengler said.

Women's bodies also contain as much as 10 percent more body fat than men's and so are able to store more fat-soluble toxins and synthetic chemicals. These then can be transferred to children in utero and through breast milk.

Overall, the study detected 66 chemical compounds in the dust and measured 52 in the air. On average, the dust in the tested homes contained 26 compounds and the air contained 19. Spengler said the levels measured in Cape Cod are not significantly higher than elsewhere in the country.

The study, published in the September issue of Environmental Science & Technology, is the most comprehensive indoor air analysis to date. It is part of the Silent Spring Institute's ongoing Cape Cod Breast Cancer and Environment Study.

"The surprising finding was how many chemicals we found in every house,'' Spengler said. "They all had more than 20 compounds and some of the compounds are banned substances. In addition we measured 30 compounds never reported in residential settings before.''

One of those unreported chemical compounds is 4-nonylphenol, an alkylphenol found at significant levels in every home sampled. Laundry detergents, disinfecting cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, hair-coloring and other hair care products and spermicides contain this product.
The chemical can mimic female estrogen hormones, and can interact and disrupt the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife, interfering with reproduction and causing increased risk of birth defects and breast, prostate and testicular cancers.

Although the European Union restricts 4-nonylphenol use, there are no U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for human exposure to it or any other chemicals based on their endocrine activity. The EPA and the chemicals' manufacturers have indicated that it would not become airborne.

Barbara Losey, deputy director of the Alkylphenols & Ethoxylates Research Council, an industry-funded organization, said the levels of alkylphenols found by the study in the dust and air are too low to disrupt reproductive processes. "It's interesting to look at indoor air because its an area that hasn't been looked at much and respiratory exposure to nonylphenol hasn't been looked at as much compared to other routes,'' Losey said. "But our research still leads us to conclude that human exposure is very low.''

But Spengler said not enough is known about the residential risks posed by such exotic compounds. "We've made measurements of chemical compounds that are possible endocrine disrupters,'' Spengler said. "When we see these levels it should be a wake-up call to get more research going.''

There are no federal regulatory standards for contaminants in indoor air and house dust. The EPA has issued exposure guidelines for about half the compounds detected in the Cape Cod study and most of those were measured in concentrations below those standards.
But 15 compounds were measured in levels that exceeded the standards, including one given off as a vapor from plastics and some pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, that are banned from current use.

Spengler said carpeting and newer, air-tight houses accentuate the risk because they hold the contaminants in the home for a longer time.

When outdoor air pollution was much worse it overshadowed indoor air problems, he said. As outdoor air quality has improved, problems with indoor air pollutants, which have gotten more chemically complex over the years, have emerged. "We've eliminated or reduced many combustion based pollutants outside,'' Spengler said, "but things like plastics, flame retardants, cosmetics, pesticides and cleaning chemicals no one's looked at.''

But there is no doubt that Americans are exposed to thousands of chemicals every day in their homes and workplaces.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this year released its second annual report on human exposure to environmental chemicals, cataloging chemicals found in the blood and urine of folks in a national sample.

"We measured 116 and there are others likely in the body,'' said Dr. John Osterloh, chief medical officer of the CDC's Environmental Health laboratory and a co-author of the exposure report. "For the most part their magnitude and concentrations are not that high, but we really don't have standards for many of the chemicals we tested.''

Osterloh said the report will help direct researchers to the chemicals that are present in humans and, based on their concentrations, the ones that they need to assess for health effects.
The chemicals identified in the CDC report are emitted from carpeting on floors, paint on walls, building materials in ceilings, even the desk chairs people sit in. They seep imperceptibly into the air and are breathed into the lungs.

From: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03357/253929.stm

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Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder

Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder

Stephen B. Edelson, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., F.A.A.E.M.

The Edelson Center for Environmental and Preventive Medicine

What Is It?

This medical problem is a very disturbing one, filled with many handicaps for the patient. It affects thousands of infants, children, adolescents, and adults. It affects behavior, learning processes and communication. A child is usually affected before birth, and this is most likely preventable. If not prevented, serious disabilities occur which threaten the child's future development. If left untreated, the condition may continue to affect the person through adulthood, in some form or other, although some remission may occur at puberty. During pregnancy, there is usually a great deal of fetal activity, coupled with very hard kicking. Hyperactive babies of ten suffer from "colic," need very little sleep, cry and scream a great deal, are restless and fidgety, will not feed properly, and are "rockers" and "head bangers." No amount of nursing or comforting will calm such a child. They often reject affection and mothering. As the child becomes more mobile (sometimes at a very early age), he is into everything, rushing from one thing to another. His attention span is very short and he is easily distracted. He touches everything and leaves a trail of destruction and havoc. He is not deliberately destroying things, but his lack of control and coordination and general clumsiness leads to breakage of items about the house. He is driven by what appears to be an endless source of energy-both day and night. The speech and thinking processes of the hyperactive child often reveal multiple defects. Some cannot integrate what they see and hear because of visual perception difficulties. This, in turn, leads to an inability to understand. Hyperactive children may often suffer with a wide range of other ailments and disabilities, such as eczema, asthma, chronic infections, hay fever, headaches, stomach aches, etc.

Symptoms In Brief Infancy and Young Children:

crying, screaming, restlessness, needing little sleep, difficult to feed, cannot be pacified, spurns affection and cuddles, excessive dribbling, increased thirst, head banging, rocking, fits, tantrums.

Older Children:(in addition to symptoms in infancy)

clumsiness, impulsive, accident prone, erratic, disruptive behavior, compulsive touching, constant motion, fatigued, disturbs other children, weak, weary, listless, aggressive, nonstop talk, repetition, lacks concentration, loud talk, withdrawn at times, restless sleep, normal or high IQ but fails at school, poor appetite, nightmares, poor eye-hand coordination, nervous, uncooperative, irritable, defiant, depressed with wild mood swings, disobedient, self-abusive, oversensitive to odors, lights, sound, cold, hair pulling, picking skin, sleep problems, enuresis (bed wetting), muscle aches, 'growing pains,' bladder problems, facial changes, dark eye circles, puffy below eyes, red earlobes, red cheeks, swollen neck glands, fluid behind ear drums, ringing ears, dizziness, excessive sweating, low-grade fever.

There are degrees of the problem and not every child has all of the symptoms described. More boys than girls are hyperactive by a ratio of 3:1 (with a high percentage of blond hair, blue eyed).

What Is The Cause?

There probably is not one etiology for this process. It can be caused by genetic abnormalities, birth injuries, endocrine abnormalities, emotional problems, biochemical disturbances, toxins, enzyme defects, stresses in life, or previous infections. The item that brings all of this together is that when you investigate environmental sensitivities on these children, you find they are "allergic" to foods, dyes, chemicals, inhalants, and other incitants. Not all children have food sensitivities, but a large percentage do, and they improve dramatically when avoidance and desensitization are done. During an evaluation of a child with this problem, we must individualize and look for the causes that lead to the sensitivities, like: hypoglycemia, lead poisoning, yeast syndrome, parasites, amino acid abnormalities, and other nutritional biochemical abnormalities.

What Can Be Done?

As a result of research and the practical evidence of substantial improvements in the health and behavior of many hyperactive children, it has been shown that in many cases hyperactivity is aggravated (if not caused) by an intolerance to foods, chemicals, additives, dyes, and inhalants (pollens, molds, etc.)

1. DETOXIFY YOUR HOME CLEANING PRODUCTS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

Toxic scents are everywhere. They are in cosmetics, household items, detergents, magazine advertising, and personal care products. The majority of these ingredients have minimal testing for human toxicity. The National Academy of Sciences reports that 95 percent of chemical used in fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum. These chemicals can cause allergic reactions and central-nervous-system dysfunction. Most household cleaning products found in grocery stores contain harmful toxic chemicals. Many are toxic when absorbed through the skin or inhaled. Washing clothing or bedding in these household products is another source of contact. According to the National Institutes of Health, 35 million American experience allergic reactions and hypersensitivity to chemicals found in common household products.

There are wonderful, safe alternatives to help you clean up your toxic environment. Email me if you need suggestions.

2. DETOXIFY YOUR BODY

Add fiber to your diet. For many children that don't like anything but sugars this will take some work. Add a good fiber supplement to a "smoothie" and your children will love it. The positive benefits of fiber are no longer based on hypotheses or guesswork. Medical studies offer compelling and clear evidence that adequate fiber intake is vital to optimum health! The correlation between low fiber diets and a variety of chronic health issues has been documented time and time again. Many researchers believe that chronic health issues such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, diverticulosis, high blood pressure, ulcers, flood allergies, candida, acne, and more are directly associated with fiber-deficient diets. Like a broom, fiber sweeps through the digestive tract without being absorbed or assimilated, binding bile acids, increasing fecal bulk, diluting the concentration levels of sugar and other rich foods, decreasing bowel transit time and more. Fiber's ability to neutralize, absorb, and facilitate the elimination of toxic waste is extremely crucial to our well being.

3. REPAIR AND RESTORE YOUR BODY'S DEFENSES

High quality, absorbable multi-vitamin and mineral supplements are a must. I have information regarding a vitamin and mineral supplement that is quite unique in that the minerals are chelated with fructose. That is, a carbon atom is removed from this sugar chain and a mineral atom is inserted in its place. What is interesting is that after this transformation occurs the bond angles and the structure of this new molecule, a "substituted fructose", are identical to a real fructose molecule. Therefore, since these structures are the same and the body recognizes substances based on structure, the body treats this "substituted fructose " as a true sugar molecule. Sugars, including this "substituted fructose " are completely absorbed from the intestinal lumen, or inside of the gut, into the bloodstream that goes to the hepatic portal system and is then circulated throughout the entire body. This is the first part of the miracle of this supplement, that of approximating 100% absorption. The next part of the miracle is just as interesting. Since cells need sugar to perform the functions of life, sugars are transported across the cell membrane constantly and then taken to the mitochondria and are converted to ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate ) , which is the currency of energy for cells. ATP powers the mechanisms that create the stuff of life, such as neurotransmitters, proteins of repair, bone formation, red blood cells, white blood cells, and we could go on and on. Therefore, sugars are taken across cell walls from the blood at higher rates than other substances in the blood, since we need it to convert so much sugar into ATP. This "substituted fructose " becomes an ideal carrier of minerals not only getting into the bloodstream to an astoundingly high degree but also into the cells of the body that can then use these minerals for the formation of the stuff of life. What is also nice about using fructose as a carrier is that fructose is not insulin dependent which makes it a wonderful carrier for a diabetic. Fructose uses a completely different metabolic pathway to enter a cell.

Well, let me paint a little more of this picture, using the paint brush of basic anatomy. The brain rests inside the skull. Between the brain and the skull is the dura mater, which is Latin for "tough mother." The dura mater is a tough membrane that protects the brain. Between the dura mater and the brain is another barrier, the blood brain barrier which is composed of astrocytes, oligocytes, and microglia. These three cell types act as a filter keeping everything that is circulating in the blood that could be harmful to the brain, from reaching the brain. Yet there is one thing that crosses the blood brain barrier easily, Sugar (Including "substituted fructose). Even though muscles can use sugars, free fatty acids, as well as proteins as a fuel, the brain can only use sugar as a fuel. The answer lies in the physiology of the brain. It is obvious to you that the heart is an organ that pumps blood; the lungs are an organ which exchange gases according to law of partial pressures; the kidneys are an organ which filter blood; and the brain is also an organ. But what does the brain do? The Mind is what the brain does. I am using Mind to describe the myriad functions of the brain. If this self maintaining and self regulating brain, which is an organic machine, does not get the proper nutrition it needs to function well, it subsequently is not able to manufacture those substances that are necessary for good brain function and poor Mind results.

You Drink Filtered Water So You Don't Have To Drink Chlorine - Why Would You Want To Swim In It?

Q : by Maria from Oakland, California
I'm researching information of what to use for my spa or hot tub. I have been looking for information on your website but have not found anything on this topic. I am looking for an alternative to using chlorine or Bromine in our new spa. We had been using spamagic but I'm a little skeptical about continued use. Please advise. I'm allergic to chlorine.

A : by Dr. Mercola (Published April 08, 2007 )
Your concern about chlorine is appropriate. There is strong evidence that you should avoid drinking chlorine and also bathing in it. This would include showering with municipal water that is chlorinated. This is particularly problematic in the shower because the temperature of the water is higher which increases the blood flow in your skin and increases your ability to absorb chlorine from the water. . . .

Read the rest of Dr. Mercola's answer HERE.

The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose

Most of us have grown up with the idea that whiter whites (and brighter colors) mean cleaner clothes. We continue to use chlorine products with abandon to whiten and to disinfect. We write on white paper and bathe in and drink chlorinated water.

After all, who wants bacteria- infested water? In our society, chlorine is ubiquitous-and so are its side effects.

In fact, the long-term residual effects from chlorine are becoming such a health hazard that the American Public Health Association is urging the American paper industry to stop using chlorine.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found dioxin (a toxic byproduct of chlorine) to be 300,000 times more potent as a carcinogen than DDT.

Healthy & Natural speaks with Stephen Ashkin, director of product development and environmental affairs at Seventh Generation, a manufacturer of green, nontoxic cleaning products. Although he has a degree in chemistry, Ashkin gained most of his practical knowledge and experience through direct contact in the chemical industry. He literally grew up in the laboratory of his parent's cleaning products manufacturing company.

Ashkin chaired the American Society for Testing and Materials' task force that wrote the national cleaning standard for commercial and institutional buildings. He has also chaired President Clinton's Green Chemistry Challenge Task Force. Ashkin is acting advisor for a number of EPA programs including the Indoor Environment Division. He has published numerous articles on environmentally preferable products and is a very popular conference speaker.

Q: Does chlorine occur naturally?
Typically chlorine does not normally occur in the environment except as a yellow gas on rare occasions. It's a manufactured substance produced through an industrial process. An electrical current is passed through salt water producing chlorine and caustic soda.

Q: Is chlorine very toxic?
This is where this topic gets very interesting. Many people argue that chlorine is basically safe-that it breaks down into harmless salt and water. Well, that's true-in a laboratory test tube under very controlled conditions.
The real issue is not just how toxic chlorine itself is but how the unintended byproducts of chlorine (organochlorines and dioxins) remain in the environment. They are persistent in the environment; they do not break down readily and therefore bio-accumulate.

Q: Is there a chlorine pollution problem?
One of the largest uses of chlorine is in the paper industry. Chlorine is first used to break down the lignan that holds the wood fibers together. Then chlorine is used to bleach the paper to make it white. The effluent or wastewater containing dioxins and other organochlorines are then dumped into streams and waterways. These ingredients are highly toxic and carcinogenic. Once in the waste stream, they come into contact with other organic materials and surfactants and combine to form a host of extremely toxic organic chemicals. A chain of events occurs: The water becomes polluted; the fish become contaminated; animals eat the fish and people eat the contaminated animals and fish. This can create a very serious health problem; the dioxins and other toxic chemicals, when consumed, accumulate in the fatty tissues. These contaminants are also hormone disrupters because they mimic estrogen. The EPA has observed and documented hormonal imbalance, suppressed immune systems, reproductive infertility and alterations in fetal development of animals. In viewing the big picture, these factors are perhaps the most frightening results from the widespread use of chlorine.

Q: How widespread is chlorine contamination?
It is so widespread that it would be difficult to find any human being who does not have detectable levels of dioxin in his/her blood. While we know that chlorine is a substantial environmental problem caused by the paper industry, household bleach and cleaners containing chlorine also pose a serious health risk. For instance, in 1997, 217,989 calls to the Poison Control Center concerned household cleaners. Of those calls, 54,453 were about chlorine bleach and 7,570 were for chlorine disinfectants. So, that means that 28.4 percent of all calls were related to poisonings by chlorine products. What's even more important, most of those calls were about children under 6 years old.

Q: What can happen if these chemicals get into our bodies?
Our bodies are very good at metabolizing many things. Through special enzymes, our bodies are able to rid themselves of many environmental toxic substances that we come into contact with daily. However, dioxins (and other organochlorine compounds) aren't included. Even if we are exposed to very low levels, dioxins remain in the body and accumulate. The EPA is now saying that this is soon to become a major health risk problem. The cumulative effects of dioxin in humans have been linked to

- birth defects
- cancer
- reproductive disorders
- immune system breakdown

Q: Should chlorine be used in our public water supply?
The alternative question would be, should we drink contaminated water? The answer, of course, would be no. It's very important that our water is sanitized. Years ago, there were very few alternatives. However, today, while chlorine is a very effective (and cheap) sanitizer, many scientists are recognizing some serious side effects from chlorine. Today, our technology is getting to the point where, I hope, we will look into a better means of sanitizing our drinking water. This will not be easy because one of the biggest advantages (and ultimately the biggest disadvantage) of using chlorine is the fact that chlorine doesn't break down. Water can be treated with chlorine at the filtration plant and 10 miles away the chlorine is persistent enough to remain in the water and pipes when it reaches the home. There exist many other ingredients that are good sanitizers, but they break down quickly, and the water would become contaminated by the time it reaches someone's home. We may have a problem if we need to sanitize via a chemical additive. It becomes a sort of oxymoron: chemicals that are persistent also tend to be toxic. The ultimate solution may be to have home-based water filtration/sanitizing systems. This would eliminate the problem of trying to prevent hundreds of miles of pipes, installed a hundred years ago, from contaminating the water.

Q: Are there safe, effective alternatives to chlorine as a bleaching agent and disinfectant?
Absolutely! Primarily, hydrogen peroxide is available to the paper industry and to the soap industry as a bleaching agent. Another new technology uses ozone. Other non-chlorinated household cleaning products, readily available to the consumer, achieve the same bleaching and disinfecting results as chlorine but are nontoxic. I don't understand why anyone would want to use chlorine products anyway. Chlorine is a respiratory irritant and when mixed with other common household products, it gives off a toxic gas.

Q: What can we do to make a difference?
We could request and purchase processed chlorine-free paper, not just in writing paper but in paper towels, napkins, tissues, and toilet paper. It's a vote for our environment and our health. It may seem to be a small thing, but collectively it really can make a substantial difference.
We need to realize that the technology in the chemical industry has changed as dramatically as in the computer industry. We no longer need to use harmful substances simply because they worked for our grandparents. The technology in the chemical industry is allowing us to replace many of these toxic ingredients with others that are not only nontoxic but have renewable resources and many environmental benefits.

It's a major educational process for consumers to understand that they, through their buying choices, can make a difference. Did you know that only about 20 percent of shoppers buy their household products in natural food stores?

What that says to me is that while consumers recognize the importance of buying supplements and organic foods, they don't recognize the same environmental and health benefits associated with buying chlorine-free paper and other nontoxic cleaners.

Chlorine Facts
Dioxin, a chemical byproduct of the manufacturing of chlorinebleached paper, is believed to be the single most carcinogenic chemical known to science.

When you open the door of your dishwasher after washing, toxic volatized chlorine from dish detergent and tap water is released into the air.

Thanks to chlorine pollution, Americans ingest a daily amount of dioxin that is already 300 to 600 times greater than the EPA's so-called "safe" dose.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has found dioxin to be 300,000 times more potent as a carcinogen than DDT.

Dioxin has been linked to endometriosis, immune system impairment, diabetes, neurotoxicity, birth defects, decreased fertility, and reproductive dysfunction in both women and men.

Studies show that 40-70 percent of the dioxin in bleached coffee filters can leach into your coffee; dioxin found in paper milk cartons also leaches into the milk you drink.

Cancer-causing chemicals like chlorine found in many household products such as coffee filters, disposable diapers, paper towels, and bathroom tissue are readily absorbed through the skin.

Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Sucralose, the supposed "safe" replacement for Nutrasweet, is starting to receive much press recently as it is being promoted more and more.

It is important to recognize that Sucralose is basically chlorinated table sugar and as such, may have many of the risks of chlorine discussed above. In addition, it is contributing to environmental chlorine pollution as well.

It is important to recognize that Sucralose is not the safe chemical it is being promoted as. I would advise caution as many have started to report adverse reactions to it.

The other issue with chlorine is of course its more common use as a water disinfectant, which is one of the main reasons why most of us need to use water filters of some sort. With summer upon us one must not neglect the use in swimming pools. Because the exposure is generally longer, this is a much more serious issue for those who swim regularly, than drinking tap water.
If you have a pool it is important to know that there are chlorine alternatives such as hydrogen peroxide (Baquacil) and ozone that can be used, are not toxic and more pleasant to use.

Reprinted from Dr. Mercola's Newsletter: http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/23/chlorine.htm

Related Articles:
The Potential Dangers of Sucralose
Is Tap Water Safe?
Chlorinated Water Can Affect Cancer Risk
Americans Don't Drink Enough Water