Easily accessible dangerous chemical compounds. Poisons in household

Jiří Patočka, Lenka Bendová, Jindřich Jonáš
Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra radiologie, toxikologie a ochrany obyvatelstva

Korespondenční autor: Jiří Patočka (toxicology@toxicology.cz)

ISSN 1804-7858 (On-line)

Full verze:

Submitted:14. 9. 2012
Accepted: 17. 3. 2013
Published online: 28. 6. 2013

Summary

Our home is not such a safe place as you may think. There are many of the products that can be dangerous. Some of the most common household products can be very hazardous. These include: cleaning substances, laundry products, cosmetics, garden supplies, automotive products, pesticides, toys and hobby materials, fuels, paints and pool products. These products come in many shapes, sizes and colours. Liquids, powders, granules, sprays and aerosols can easily enter the body through the mouth, eyes, nose and skin. Children are often attracted to the bright colours, interesting containers and sweet smell of household products. The household products are often mistaken by children for something that is good for them to eat or drink. For example, liquid cleaner may be mistaken for juice. Do not rely on the smell or taste of a household product to deter children. Children are known to put anything in their mouths! Long-term exposure to chemicals in the home has been linked to many health issues, including respiratory problems, cancer, birth defects, developmental disorders, behavioural disorders and more. In the book “Poisoning Our Children” its author Nancy Sokol Green writes that women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside of the home. This figure came from a fifteen-year study, which concluded that the increased death rate was due to daily exposure to ordinary household products. Some experts report that 30% of all cancers are from exposure to toxic chemicals. Long-term residence in buildings contaminated by chemicals can lead to “sick building syndrome”. This term is used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. The use of toxic products in household also poses a threat to us in the form of outdoor pollution. Empty containers are filling our landfills with poison. Everything we do affects our water, air, and soil. It has been estimated that plastic containers might take up to 100 years to decompose, and in some cases even more.

Keywords: household – poison – exposure – hazard – endocrine disruptors – sick building syndrome

Souhrn

Náš domov není zas až tak bezpečným místem, jak si myslíme. Je v něm mnoho produktů a výrobků, které mohou být nebezpečné. Některé z nejběžnějších domácích produktů mohou být dokonce velmi nebezpečné a mohou způsobit vážné poškození zdraví. Mezi ně patří: čisticí látky, prací prostředky, kosmetika, zahradní chemie, výrobky automobilového průmyslu, pesticidy, hračky a hobby materiály, paliva, barvy a bazénové produkty. Tyto výrobky mají mnoho různých tvarů, velikostí a barev. Jsou to tekutiny, prášky, granule, spreje a aerosoly a mohou snadno vstoupit do těla ústy, sliznicí očí, nosem i kůží. Děti jsou často přitahovány pestrými barvami, zajímavými krabičkami a sladkou vůní výrobků pro domácnost, často si tento výrobek spletou s něčím, o čem si myslí, že je pro ně dobré k jídlu nebo pití. Tekutý čisticí prostředek si mohou splést např. s ovocným sirupem. Nespoléhejme na to, že vůně nebo chuť výrobku děti odradí. Musíme předpokládat, že do úst mohou dát úplně všechno! Dlouhodobá expozice chemickým látkám v domácnosti je spojena s mnoha zdravotními problémy, včetně dýchacích potíží, rizikem vzniku rakoviny, vrozených vad, vývojových poruch, poruch chování apod. V knize „Otravy našich dětí“ autorka Nancy Sokol Greenová píše, že ženy, které pracují doma, mají o 54 % vyšší úmrtnost na rakovinu než ženy, které pracují mimo domov. Tento údaj pochází z 15leté studie, která dospěla k závěru, že zvýšená úmrtnost byla způsobena denní expozicí běžnými výrobky pro domácnost. Někteří odborníci uvádějí, že 30 % všech druhů rakoviny je vyvoláno expozicí toxickými chemickými látkami. Dlouhodobý pobyt v budovách zamořených chemickými látkami může vést ke vzniku „syndromu nezdravých budov“. Tento termín se používá k popisu situace, kdy lidé pobývající v budově trpí akutními zdravotními problémy, které souvisejí s dobou strávenou v budově, ale žádná konkrétní nemoc nebo příčina nebyla identifikována. Používání toxických látek v domácnosti také představuje hrozbu v podobě znečištění venkovního životního prostředí. Prázdné obaly plní naše skládky nejrůznějšími jedy. Všechno, co děláme, ovlivňuje naši vodu, vzduch a půdu. Je odhadováno, že potrvá nejméně sto let, než dojde k rozkladu plastových obalů, ale může to trvat i déle.

Klíčová slova: domácnost – jed – expozice – riziko – endokrinní disruptory – syndrom nezdravých budov

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