M4.2 Blog Assignment: National Library ToxNet

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Urea formaldehyde was a chemical often found in building materials during the 1970's. This chemical was used for insulation purposes and pressed wood products. Exposure usually occurs through the respiratory system as products with Urea formaldehyde release vapor into the air,  can be absorbed through the skin or consumed by drinking or eating contaminated liquids and foods.

There are short term and more long term effects with continued exposure to urea formaldehyde. Short term exposure can cause allergic reactions or irritations of the skin such as dermatitis, watery eyes, nose, and difficulty breathing (wheezing and coughing).  Long term exposure has been suggested to increase people's health risks for cancer.

In terms of bleach, which is a highly used household cleaning product, the health risk is attributed to risk for respiratory problems such as asthma. In a study conducted by Matolunga et al. (2016), researchers examined the frequency of bleach use in the household among 607 women. It was found that frequent use of bleach increased the women's risk for non-allergic asthma, high white blood cell count, and bronchial airway problems. 

Bleach also causes irritations of the skin, eyes, mouth, nose and lungs due to inhalation exposure. 

References:
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441921/
https://www.resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111(16)30145-7/pdf
http://www.beyondtoxics.org/work/green-home-cleaning-campaign/bleach/




Comments

  1. Sintia ShahbazSeptember 17, 2018 at 1:11 PM

    These were really interesting to read about, especially the bleach! Although I already knew about these health risks regarding bleach, its sad that there is continues use for it! I wonder if the health risks for developing asthma would be much greater among children? It gives me something to think about.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2018 at 3:41 PM

    Definitely agree. I think the added risks of bleach exposure in households with asthma sufferers should be discussed more often. Really great job summarizing the risks - I thought the database was really useful and it looks like you guys did too!

    ReplyDelete

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