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According to a new investigation, certain chemical compounds found in sofas could be found in human blood.
Many furniture, textiles and electrical equipment in your home contain PBDEs, i.e. persistent organic pollutants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) which serve to make them flame retardant (i.e. less flammable) said object. However, these are not without health risks, warns a study published in the journal Environment International.
Cancers and endocrine disruptions
It was after measuring the rate and speed of absorption of two types of PBDEs in skin models printed in 3D from human keratinocytes that the researchers realized their harmfulness: in a single day and one day. single night (24 hours), up to 8% of the initial PBDE dose could be absorbed by a simple touch.
“This is the first experimental evidence showing that certain chemical additives linked to many diseases, including cancer, endocrine disruption and reproductive problems, enter the human body through skin exposure“, indicates in a press release Dr Ovokeroye Abafe, author of the study, before adding “These results provide important data for policy makers who are now better able to legislate on olebrominated diphenyl ethers and protect public health against them.“.
Interesting detail: PBDEs were particularly well absorbed by damp – “hydrated” or “sweating” skin. And for good reason: the particular chemical structure of these compounds allows them to bind to biological tissues and disrupt cellular processes.
“These chemicals persist in the human body, so with continued or regular exposure, they gradually build up until they become harmful“, confirms Dr. Ovokeroye Abafe.
A harmfulness, singled out by the authorities: PBDEs are suspected of contributing to the incidence of serious diseases (such as cancers) and of disrupting hormonal balance. But they can also affect neurological development and compromise the immune system.
PBDE: Americans particularly exposed
Another observation made by scientists: the American population seems to have particularly worrying levels of PBDE in the blood, being ten times higher than those found in Europeans.
“Unfortunately, in addition to PBDEs, there are myriads ofchemical additives toxic substances that can potentially be found in the human body“, deplores the author of the study in conclusion.
Slide: Endocrine disruptors: how to avoid them on a daily basis?