Common Household Chemical May Harm Lung Function

Air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, moth balls and other deodorizing products may be easy on the nose but tough on the lungs. 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, and especially important for people with breathing problems such as asthma, researchers report.

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.

The researchers found that one of the compounds -- 1, 4 dicholorobenzene (1, 4 DCB) -- was associated with reduced lung function. Although 1, 4 DCB isn't a commonly recognized name, it has a commonly recognized smell because it's the primary ingredient in mothballs, Elliott said. The compound is also found in room deodorizers, urinal and toilet-bowl blocks, and insecticide sprays for moth control.

"People with asthma and other respiratory illnesses are more affected by any sort of lung irritant," she said. "So until more is known about 1, 4 DCB, people who have respiratory illnesses probably should not use products that contain it."

A previous study showed an association between 1, 4 DCB levels and increased asthma in children. "If people are concerned about 1, 4 DCB products, the safest course would be to reduce their use," Elliott said. "These are not necessary products." Another alternative would be to use air filters instead of air fresheners to remove offensive household odors, she added.

Unfortunately for consumers, 1, 4 DCB may not be listed on product labels. "If you go to a grocery store and look at air fresheners or to an auto-parts store and look at the fresheners that hang from rear-view mirrors, which I've done since this finding, there are no ingredients listed," Elliott said. "In some of my inquiries, I've found that they're proprietary formulas, so they don't actually give out that information."

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