Chemical in Air Fresheners Impairs Lung Function

[Guest guest]

I saw this on my COPD support group (and they are very mainstream, a

lot of researchers and medical professions in the group)thought I'd

pass it on....

Cynthia

Chemical in Air Fresheners Impairs Lung Function

 

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, North Carolina, July 27,

2006 (ENS) - A chemical compound found in many air fresheners, toilet

bowl cleaners, mothballs and other deodorizing products, may be

harmful to the lungs, according to a new study by U.S. government

researchers.

 

Human population studies at the National Institute

of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a part of the National

Institutes of Health, found that exposure to a volatile organic

compound called 1,4 dichlorobenzene (1,4 DCB) may cause " modest

reductions " in lung function.

 

" Even a small reduction in lung function may

indicate some harm to the lungs, " said NIEHS researcher Stephanie

London, M.D., lead investigator on the study. " The best way to

protect yourself, especially children who may have asthma or other

respiratory illnesses, is to reduce the use of products and materials

that contain these compounds. "

 

 

 

NIEHS researcher Stephanie London, M.D., a

specialist in genetic epidemiology, was lead investigator on the 1,4

DCB study. (Photo courtesy NIEHS)

Volatile organic compounds, VOCs, are compounds

emitted as gases from thousands of commonly used products, including

tobacco smoke, pesticides, paints, and cleaning products. VOCs are

also released in automotive exhaust.

This particular VOC, 1,4 DCB, is a white solid

compound with a distinctive aroma, similar to mothballs. It is

typically used as a space deodorant in products such as room

deodorizers, urinal and toilet bowl blocks, and as an insecticide

fumigant for moth control.

 

The researchers examined the relationship between

blood concentrations of 11 common volatile organic compounds and lung

function measures in a representative sample of 953 adults 20 to 59

years old. Four measures of lung function were used in the analyses.

 

They found that of the common VOCs analyzed,

including benzene, styrene, toluene, and acetone, only the compound

1,4 DCB was associated with reduced lung function.

 

This effect was seen even after careful adjustment

for smoking.

 

The researchers found that 96 percent of the

population sampled had detectable 1,4 DCB blood concentration levels.

African Americans had the highest exposure levels and non-Hispanic

whites the lowest.

 

 

 

Deodorant blocks such as these contain 1,4 DCB, a

volatile organic compound that reduces lung function. (Photo credit

unknown)

" Because people spend so much time indoors where

these products are used, it's important that we understand the

effects that even low levels might have on the respiratory system, "

said Leslie Elliott, Ph.D. a researcher on the NIEHS-funded study.

" There has been very little research on the health

effects of this particular compound in non-occupational settings, "

Eilliott said.

 

The researchers used data from the third National

Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative

survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

between 1988-1994 to determine the health and nutritional status of

the U.S. population.

 

They focused on a special component of the study

designed to assess the level of common pesticides and VOCs in the

U.S. population, and found that increasing blood concentrations of

1,4 DCB corresponded with reductions in pulmonary function.

 

The researchers also assessed the influence of

other factors in an individual's environment that may be related to

lung function and to 1,4-DCB exposure - type of heating, use of wood

fires, age of house, presence of furred pets, occupation,

socioeconomic status, environmental tobacco smoke, smoking history,

and diagnosis of asthma or emphysema.

 

" This research suggests that 1,4-DCB may exacerbate

respiratory diseases, " said NIEHS Director David A. Schwartz, M.D,

who is also a specialist in environmental lung disease. " As part of

the new disease-focused approach at NIEHS, researchers will use this

information to better understand the pathogenesis of respiratory

diseases. "

 

The NIEHS introduced a new strategic plan in May

aimed at challenging and energizing the scientific community to use

environmental health sciences to understand the causes of disease and

to improve human health.

 

The plan, " New Frontiers in Environmental Sciences

and Human Health, " is online at:

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/plan2006/.

 

The study, " Volatile Organic Compounds and

Pulmonary Function in the Third National Health and Nutrition

Examination Survey, 1988-1994, " is published in the August issue

of " Environmental Health Perspectives. "

 

The National Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences, a component of the National Institutes of Health, supports

research to understand the effects of the environment on human

health, online at: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/home.htm.

 

 

 

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