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There are fans of the real Christmas tree and others, those who use a plastic tree. These praise the practical side of the object, reusable, which avoids buying (and sacrificing, very often) a new tree each year. But are plastic Christmas trees safe for your health?
As the holidays approach, many people decorate a Christmas tree at home. Real conifer or simple plastic copy, there is something for everyone. Asked by the Huffington Post, Bryan Cummings, a researcher at Drexel University’s College of Engineering in the United States, explains that fake Christmas trees can have an impact on the air inside your home.
Compounds of PVC and phthalates
Indeed, these artificial trees, which seem to be a solution for people allergic to real trees, can generate indoor pollution. “These artificial trees contain plastics and PVC [chlorure de polyvinyle]and one of the main plasticizers of these materials are phthalates” explains the specialist. “A lot of research is going on, especially around phthalates, because they are one of the chemicals that last over time.”he added.
In addition, these decorative trees contain a flame retardant for safety, of which “some of the compounds could be neurotoxins or carcinogens with long-term exposure.”
A low pollution, but which lasts…
According to Dustin Poppendieck, an environmental engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in the United States and also interviewed by the Huffington Post, real and artificial trees can emit chemicals for weeks, a month or even longer. , for trees that would be stored in your home all year round.
But he relativizes immediately after the importance of this pollution, for which there is not really any reason to worry too much. Indeed, he reminds us, all the plastics we have at home are a source of pollution. “Are artificial trees the major source of this pollution? Probably not” approves Bryan Cummings.
Some advice to limit this pollution
However, the two specialists give their advice on how to best limit indoor pollution in your home. Dustin Poppendieck pointed out that “phthalates are commonly found in household dust”and therefore all year round, not just at Christmas time, which generates constant pollution.
“If you are very concerned about phthalates and plastics in general, you should avoid artificial trees” so believes Cummings. “But, if you have a lot of other plastic items in your house, a Christmas tree won’t change anything.“.
And generally speaking, they give some common sense advice like “clean with soap and water instead of harsh chemicals whenever possible, limit the use of scented products open a window to remove some of those indoor pollutants“.