Is Your House Making You Sick?

By Mary Kearl

Not everything is sweet in your home sweet home. In fact, you may be exposing yourself to toxins, allergens and irritants found in everything from your home's construction materials and ventilation to the beauty products and cooking materials you use on a regular basis. Here are some household culprits you may not have considered.

We asked Rodney R. Dietert, toxicologist, and Professor of Immunotoxicology at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Institute of Comparative and Environmental Toxicology Cornell University, these pressing questions about the toxins that may be surrounding us in our so-called sanctuaries.

AOL: What household products and materials should be checked for toxins?

Chemical toxins can be found in residences through the building materials themselves (particle board, wiring, flooring, sealants) as well as through home maintenance materials (paint, calk, gout). Outgassing from soil can greatly impact inhaled toxin levels in the home. Knowledge of prior industrial activity, including chemical spills on or near the property, may be an important consideration for the family's, as well as community's, health.

Among the chemicals of greatest interest, at present, are those that mimic certain hormones and may disrupt endocrine balance, [such as] phthalates and bisphenol-A [both are found in plastics]. With these types of chemicals, the potential adverse health outcomes of exposure differs among women and men and that extends well beyond just the reproductive effects. Particularly with the early-life exposures, environmentally-induced shifts in endocrine balance shifts can impact several different maturing physiological systems. Which gender is at the greater risk would depend upon the specific toxin, the exposure dose and the age of exposure.

AOL: What kind of effects can these hormone-mimicking toxins have on men versus women?

Reproductive status is not the only target. But the sexes frequently differ in sensitivity for a given toxin. The exact targeting of systems [by the toxin] is influenced by the timing of the exposure by age (different trimesters or different childhood periods after birth) may result in different adverse outcome and hence different types of increased health risks among the sexes. So exposure to a toxin that is "safe" for one sex is not necessarily "safe" for the other under the same circumstances.

AOL: What should one be aware of when buying products?

Selection of the least toxic products, where different options exist, and appropriate storage and use around the home are critical to minimize exposures that could adversely impact health. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has links to toxin exposure sources and specific household product information on the following site: http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm.

AOL: What are unsafe levels of exposure?

Unsafe levels are usually determined by the EPA, FDA and USDA depending upon the source and exposure route of the potential toxin (environmental chemical deposition and exposure to wildlife and humans vs. food or drug exposure). The levels deemed safe vs. unsafe are based on the best available data which may include animal toxicity information.

Frequently direct human data are not available. Prolonged exposure is usually factored in as well as various uncertainty factors which effectively reduce the level deemed "safe" if direct human data do not exist.

AOL: Who is most affected by toxic exposure?

The greatest concern is the risk to the non-adult (prenatal, neonatal, adolescent and juvenile). Based on age comparisons made to date, we know that children are sensitive to lower concentrations of most household toxins than adults. Yet because direct testing for prenatal and neonatal neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity is rarely done, childhood safety estimates are usually inferred from adult data. That means our best guess on safety for children may be just that in some cases. The concern is that the incidence of several childhood chronic diseases (e.g. allergies, asthma, autism, type 1 diabetes) has risen in recent years. This suggests we need to do a better job of identifying toxic exposures among the young that may be contributing to this increase.

AOL: How can parents safeguard their children from overexposure to toxins?

Parents may want to examine the child's overall potential for phthalate exposure via products with plastics. Of course release via heating (e.g. microwaving certain plastics materials [such as plastic bottles or microwave dinners with plastic wrap]) may further increase exposure. As with any toxin, it is the exposure dose that is critical in determining potential health risk. Parents may want to consider ways to minimize children's time in residences that are undergoing home renovation or maintenance.

Disturbed building materials have the potential to increase toxin levels in household dust and could result in toxic exposures that well exceed what a child might encounter in day to day living. Removal of flooring, old paint and the installation of new carpets represent examples where exposure, particularly for children, should be minimized.

AOL: Are there any places around the house that people may not realize could be housing toxins?

Chemicals released from office furniture (e.g. housings on computers and TVs) might surprise some people. People may not realize that hazardous chemicals they keep out of sight (e.g. under sinks and in utility closets) may still be contributing to a less healthful indoor air quality particularly depending upon their storage and the mix of chemicals kept together. One needs to check that storage of household products is proper and that dangerous chemicals cannot mix or be released slowly into the home's indoor air. Many times we put them away but may not think to check on seals, etc.

Additionally, since recent studies suggest that living near major roads (with heavy traffic) is a risk factor for childhood asthma and allergies, the air quality in and around our houses is worth our attention. With many household products, it is one area where we have some control via paying attention to which products we use and how we store them.