Cleaning products and asthma

Recent studies in Britain have found that cleaning products increase wheezing in toddlers, which is a precursor to developing asthma.

The study of 14,000 children up to the age of three and a half, published in the journal Thorax found that exposure to household products such as bleach, aerosols, carpet and window cleaners increased the risk of wheezing.

Cases of asthma have more than tripled since the 1970s, with 1.4 million people affected.

::Medical News Today

It doesn't end with kids...

The European Respiratory Society held their 15th Annual Congress in Copenhagen on 17-20 September 2005. During the Congress, a few studies were presented showing that houseworks products like cleaning sprays, air fresheners and even floor levelling compounds are not risk-free. In fact, some of them may be responsible for almost one in five new cases of asthma!


:: EPHA Environment Network

And it doesn't end with asthma...

Most people spend more than half of their lives indoors. The significance of indoor air-quality, has become more important in recent years as a result of efforts to make our homes more energy efficient. As we tighten up our homes to prevent heat exchange, we also prevent air exchange and pollutants released into the home environment are trapped for long periods of time. Second-hand cigarette smoke, gas stoves, and wood-burning stoves and fireplaces are major sources of indoor air pollution. But home products like cleaning agents, aerosols, air fresheners, and disinfectants contribute to the problem. These products may also contain hidden cancer-causing ingredients.

::Cancer Prevention Coalition