The preservative formaldehyde was also at the top of the list. It is a known carcinogen, is also prohibited in cosmetics in the European Union and was found in 17 product categories. Formaldehyde has been the focus of several studies evaluating the air quality of nail salons. (While many consumer products are not required to list their ingredients, personal care products must, so diethanolamine and formaldehyde will both appear on those labels.)
The fact that these chemicals are released into the air makes them especially concerning, Dr. Knox said. “If you’re using a product that has a lot of VOCs in it, it’s not just that you might be smearing that product on your body, but also it’s being released into the air.” As a result, she said, other people in your home, like young children, can be exposed even if they’re not using the product.
Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to these chemicals. “During the intrauterine time period, the developing organism is far more sensitive to the effect of chemical exposure than we are as adults,” Dr Schwarzman said. “So the same level of, say, solvent exposure causes very different effects when that exposure occurs prenatally than when it does as an adult.”
One way to limit exposure to some of these chemicals, the researchers said, is to choose home and personal care products that are fragrance free. Fragrances are a common source of VOCs because the scent has to be released into the air in order for us to smell it. The researchers also recommended using these products with as much ventilation as possible.
An unanswered question is at what level of exposure do health problems start to emerge. In small, infrequent doses, the risk from most of these chemicals is likely low. However, Dr. Kannan said, for chemicals found in commonly used products, even small amounts of exposure can build up over time.
“What are the effects that you see when the product is used on a daily basis, for example, 70 years continuously?” he said. During that time, “you are exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of these kinds of chemicals.”
By Dana G Smith © The New York Times Company
The article originally appeared in The New York Times.
