Household dust is full of toxic chemicals that can lead to a whole host of health problems, new research suggests.
Recent research from George Washington University found that nearly 50 toxic chemicals are found in the dust in your home, and everyone else’s home too. The study indicated nearly 90% of homes in the United States have at least 10 types of different chemicals.
“Some chemicals were in virtually every dust sample,” said Dr. Ami Zota, one of the researchers, to CNN. The dust’s chemicals normally come from vinyl items, like baby products and makeup. Though the amount of chemicals emitted are small, they still add up, which makes them very dangerous.
The researchers categorized their results by the types of chemicals, the health impact it might have, and which household products contain they’re found in.
The main area of concern for the researchers is the impact of the chemicals on child development. “There’s a strong argument to reduce exposure to children whose brains are changing and bodies are developing, ” Dr. Asa Bradman explained.
While more research needs to be done to determine how to effectively prevent the exposure of these chemicals, doctors say that parents could start with a simple move: hand-washing.
Eileen E. White
