Deodorant Damage:Lungs get affected

A CHEMICAL compound found in many air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, mothballs and other deodorising products may leave harmful effects on lungs, says a research team from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a part of the National Institutes of Health in the USA. The team found that exposure to a Volatile Organic Compound called 1, 4 dichlorobenzene (1, 4 DCB) causes reductions in lung function. “Even a small reduction indicates some harm to the lungs,” says Stephanie London who led 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,” she says.

In search of evidence, she and her team examined the relationship between blood concentrations of 11 common VOCs and lung function measures in 953 adults. VOCs are a diverse set of compounds emitted as gases from thousands of commonly used products, including tobacco smoke, pesticides, paints, cleaning products and also released through automotive exhaust. Of the common VOCs (benzene, styrene, toluene, and acetone), only the compound 1, 4 DCB was linked to reduced pulmonary function, according to the study.

This effect was seen even after careful adjustment for smoking. The researchers found that 96 per cent of the population samples had detectable 1, 4 DCB blood concentration levels. The findings were published in a recent issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.

The VOC (1, 4 DCB) accused of causing damage to lungs is a white solid with distinctive aroma, similar to mothballs used as a space deodorant in products such as room deodorisers, urinal and toilet bowl blocks, and as an insecticide fumigant for moth control.

“Because people spend so much time indoors where these products are used, it is important that we understand the effects that even low levels might have on the respiratory system,” says Leslie Elliot, a researcher involved in the NIEHS study.

The above article was written by this blogger and originally published in the Sci & Tech section of The Statesman on 8th Day on 15 October, 2006.