FUTURA - These substances are known as plasticisers. They are chemical compounds added to materials to make them softer, more flexible and easier to use. While that might sound harmless, their widespread presence in everyday objects means our exposure is constant.
You can find plasticisers in many common household items. Food storage containers, shower curtains, garden hoses and even upholstery fabrics often contain them. The issue, however, is that several of these chemicals have been identified as toxic.
Among the most well known are compounds called ortho phthalates. Because of growing health and environmental concerns, these substances have gradually been removed from certain manufacturing processes. In response, manufacturers have introduced alternative compounds known as non ortho phthalates.
Yet these substitutes remain something of a mystery. Scientists still know very little about their potential long term effects on human health.
Large quantities of plasticisers detected in the air
Researchers from the University of California have recently highlighted just how widespread these chemicals have become. Their findings show that the air breathed daily by residents of Southern California contains notable levels of both ortho phthalates and their substitutes.
For the scientists involved, the discovery was unexpected.
‘We did not anticipate this,’ explained David Volz, professor of environmental sciences, in a statement released by the University of California Riverside. ‘Because of this, we felt it was important for people to be informed about the results of this study.’