Tag: indoor air pollution

#11: Smelling Like Death

AliciaThe Problem

Another hallmark of the modern home is our attempt to make it smell fresh and pretty. Air fresheners can be seen in almost all homes, being placed in bathrooms and cabinets to cover any bodily scents and even often placed on top of ventilators in cars. Some people even attempt to substitute essential oils and other types of aromatherapy with air fresheners in order to save money (case in point, me).

 

However, lots of air freshener companies are rather vague when it comes to listing the ingredients on the back of the package, often writing only “XX fragrance” on the label (Made Safe, 2020) (below). Such non-disclosure could indicate questionable ingredients that may not be the most beneficial for users’ health.

 

 

On doing a little digging, I found a list of harmful chemicals that are routinely found in air freshener products. These include PAHs and VOCs (Steinemann, 2017; Made Safe, 2020):

  • 1,4-Diclorobenzene: This is known to reduce lung function, making one more vulnerable to respiratory disease
  • Acetaldehyde: This is a probable carcinogen.
  • Benzene: This is a known carcinogen, which also causes developmental problems in children.
  • d-Limonene: This is known to cause irritation. This substance is a sensitizer, which means it’s likely to increase the risk of future allergic reactions.
  • Formaldehyde: This is a known carcinogen.
  • Phthalates: This is associated with effects from endocrine disruption, including causing damage to the female reproductive system, as well as birth defects.

 

The amount of exposure to these chemicals is quite substantially increased as well with regular usage of air fresheners. Some studies have shown that certain electric air fresheners emit up to 17% of the Critical Exposure Limit for formaldehyde on their own (Schwartz, 2019), while other studies showed much larger emissions, up to 40% of the Critical Exposure Limit (Steinemann, 2017). This exposure is magnified when you consider using other potential emitters like cleaning agents and aerosol sprays simultaneously. Glade, a popular brand of air freshener in Singapore, produces scented oils which emit 4.5 parts per million of Phthalates (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2007). This moderate exposure, when combined with other indoor air polluters, can mean significant daily exposure to Phthalates.

 

Even in lower quantities, these emissions should not be considered ‘completely safe’ because we use tons of chemicals in our homes. These emissions could cause much worse compounded effects on our health than we may realise. Now that you know about the possible harmful pollutants in air fresheners, you can either opt to chuck them out for good or do more research into the brands that you consume before you buy them.

 

Author: Alicia Tiu

 

References:

Made Safe. (2020, February 21). Toxic Chemicals in Air Fresheners Lead to Indoor Air Pollution. Retrieved July 19, 2020, from https://www.madesafe.org/toxic-chemicals-in-air-fresheners/

Natural Resources Defense Council. (2007). Protect Your Family from the Hidden Hazards in Air Fresheners Retrieved July 19, 2020, from https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/fairfresheners.pdf

Schwartz, S. (2019, October 29). Your air freshener may be harmful to your health. Retrieved July 19, 2020, from https://www.considerable.com/home/cleaning-organizing/are-air-fresheners-bad-for-you/

Steinemann, A. (2017). Ten questions concerning air fresheners and indoor built environments. Building and Environment, 111, 279-284. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.11.009

#9: Cooking Up a Storm

AliciaThe Problem

Today, we will be looking at another invisible source of pollution in the home. With pollutants this deadly, it makes the topic of air pollution rather personal. The offending object in question is the gas stove. While people have been transitioning from gas cooking to induction cookers in the modern home, a large proportion of people in the world still use gas stoves, some believing that it produces a higher quality of food. 

 

Gas stoves may be cleaner than other forms of stoves which use fuels like wood and coal, however, as with any form of combustion, it is capable of outputting harmful gases:

As you can see in the above news report video, gas stoves have been known to sometimes emit gases like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO). These emission levels can vary but are much higher faulty and dirty gas stoves. Each of these gases is harmful in their own ways: 

 

  • Nitrogen dioxide can dissolve in moisture in the air to form nitric acid, and these tiny acid aerosols can be easily inhaled into the lungs where it can cause irritation and inflammation (Hill, 2010). NO2 is also shown to reduce the effectiveness of the immune system, thus increasing susceptibility to colds (Ciencewicki, 2007). 
  • Carbon monoxide is often known as the ‘silent killer’, able to cause the loss of consciousness, heart failure and death of those exposed, often without them realising it (Hill, 2010).
  • Formaldehyde similarly causes irritation in the eyes and nasal passage, as well as headaches and nausea, and is also a known carcinogen in higher doses (Hill, 2010; Minnesota State Department of Health, n.d.).

 

These gases are mostly a product of incomplete burning, which is inefficient burning that is not fully able to reduce the natural gas to carbon dioxide and water vapour. This means that these gases are more likely to occur when the gas stove is not functioning properly. You can tell that this problem is occurring when you notice an orange flame from your gas stove, rather than a blue one. When you notice this, have your gas stove repaired in order to prevent exposure to the above toxic gases. Also, you can attempt to clean the air intake holes to allow the gas stove to have more ventilation, allowing the burner to have enough inflow of oxygen for burning (Lee, n.d).

 

Moreover, these gases are able to accumulate in the kitchen if there is poor ventilation. Not having an outflow of air prevents these gases from escaping. Even in a properly functioning stove, these gases are released in minute concentrations, and, if allowed to accumulate in an enclosed room, they can also bring about harmful effects to the exposed person. Thus, always ensure sufficient ventilation while cooking. You can do so by always turning on the stove hoods and vents when cooking, and if possible, by opening up windows and doors in the kitchen (Nicole, 2014).

 

Author: Alicia Tiu

 

References:

Ciencewicki, J., & Jaspers, I. (2007). Air Pollution and Respiratory Viral Infection. Inhalation Toxicology, 19(14), pp. 1135-1146. https://doi.org/10.1080/08958370701665434

Hill, M. (2010). Air pollution. In Understanding Environmental Pollution, pp. 117-154. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840654.006

Lee, V. (n.d.). Why Is My Gas Stove Burning Orange? Retrieved July 12, 2020, from https://www.hunker.com/12003355/why-is-my-gas-stove-burning-orange

Minnesota State Department of Health. (n.d.). Formaldehyde in Your Home. Retrieved July 12, 2020, from https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/toxins/formaldehyde.htm

Nicole, W. (2014). Cooking Up Indoor Air Pollution: Emissions from Natural Gas Stoves. Environmental Health Perspectives, 122(1). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.122-A27

Roberts, D. (2020, May 07). Gas stoves can generate unsafe levels of indoor air pollution. Retrieved July 12, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/5/7/21247602/gas-stove-cooking-indoor-air-pollution-health-risks

#8: Poison in a Spray Can

AliciaThe Problem

This next common household pollutant might feel obviously harmful to you, but how much do we really know about the insecticides we freely spray to keep cockroaches and other insects away? We are going to explore how knowing which insecticides to use and how to use them in the home is significant to you, the average homemaker.

 

You may recognise some common brands of insecticides in Singapore being mentioned here, including: 

  • Baygon (Propoxur)
  • Shieldtox (Chlorpyrifos)
  • And the notable mention, mothballs (Naphthalene)

 

A quick search in NEA’s document of registered pesticides can tell you what the main active ingredient is in your household insecticide. These chemicals are for general use. This means that while some monitoring is done to make sure the insecticides are sold in acceptable concentrations, there is little regulation on how much is used at each time, and how it is used. The marketing companies are supposed to include usage recommendations on the product packaging by themselves. Despite the fact that household insecticide has become quite commonplace and that we rarely think twice about picking up the insecticide spray, there is actually a lot we do not know about the effects of insecticide use. 

 

First of all, especially in the use of aerosol spray cans, insecticides are released into the air as both water droplets and aerosols. While the water droplets will fall out of the air, the aerosols are tiny enough to be suspended in the air for hours. This is how the chemicals involved can be easily breathed in by unwitting humans (Hill, 2010). Moreover, the aerosols can be unknowingly deposited on the skin and absorbed into the body. Because the aerosols remain suspended in air for quite some time, it does not only affect the insecticide user. Anybody in the household, including children and pets can breathe in the chemicals.

 

Moreover, most of these chemicals (notably propoxur, chlorpyrifos and naphthalene) are semi-volatile organic compounds, which means they can change between matter states rapidly (Hill, 2010). This also makes it a lot easier to breathe in the chemicals unknowingly in their gaseous form. Moreover, the aerosol form of propoxur and chlorpyrifos can persist on surfaces like plush toys and cloth furnishings for up to two weeks (Whyatt, et. al., 2007), meaning that the exposure to the toxic chemicals extends far beyond the spraying of insecticide.

 

Now let us look into the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals themselves. All of these chemicals are at the very least severe irritants, causing irritation to surfaces acutely exposed to the chemical (eyes, skin) and, if breathed in, the lungs. Moreover, there is evidence showing that young children exposed to chlorpyrifos had developmental disorders and slower reflexes (Hu, 2018), and both propoxur and naphthalene are known human carcinogens (National Center for Biotechnology Information, n.d.). 

 

The harm of naphthalene does not just stop there. Naphthalene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, which makes them difficult to degrade. The chemical is able to persist for long periods of time in the environment, and when inhaled or ingested, can be bioaccumulated in fat (Hill, 2010). This means that the effects and health risks from the chemical can be magnified with each exposure. This is bad for wildlife as well, as the bioaccumulation of the chemical can cause large health impacts to animals further up the food chain.

 

It seems the exposure to such chemicals should be kept to an absolute minimum where possible. But in the modern household, not using insecticide may seem hard to do. Here are some tips to reduce health risks to yourself and your family members if using insecticides cannot be avoided:

  1. Ensure enough ventilation when using insecticides, to allow the outside air to dilute the toxic gas.
  2. If possible, place surfaces that have insecticide droplets on them (especially carpets and other fabric surfaces) outside to allow the chemicals to fully evaporate and be blown away.
  3. Don’t use mothballs, but if you have to, place them in sealed containers. Only open the containers outside.

 

Author: Alicia Tiu

 

References:

Dich, J., Zahm, S. H., Hanberg, A., & Adami, H. O. (1997). Pesticides and cancer. Cancer causes & control : CCC, 8(3), 420–443. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1018413522959

Hill, M. (2010). Air pollution. In Understanding Environmental Pollution (pp. 117-154). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840654.006

National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Database. Propoxur, CID=4944, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Propoxur (accessed on July 10, 2020)

National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Database. Chlorpyrifos, CID=2730, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Chlorpyrifos (accessed on July 10, 2020)

National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Database. Naphthalene, CID=931, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Naphthalene (accessed on July 10, 2020)

National Environment Agency.  (2019). List of Registered Public Health Pesticide and Repellent Products. Retrieved from  https://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/approved-list-of-pesticides-(june-2019).pdf (accessed on July 10, 2020)

Whyatt, R. M., Garfinkel, R., Hoepner, L. A., Holmes, D., Borjas, M., Williams, M. K., Reyes, A., Rauh, V., Perera, F. P., & Camann, D. E. (2007). Within- and between-home variability in indoor-air insecticide levels during pregnancy among an inner-city cohort from New York City. Environmental health perspectives, 115(3), 383–389. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.9546

Hu, X. (2018, August 26). The Most Widely Used Pesticide, One Year Later. Retrieved from http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/widely-used-pesticide-one-year-later/ (accessed on July 10, 2020)