A study conducted by researchers from the Department of Atmospheric Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany, and researchers from the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering in Switzerland revealed that the personal hygiene products you use in your daily routine may change the air quality in the home and affect the lungs.
Personal hygiene products, including deodorant, hand wash, perfume, and shampoo, contain a mixture of more than 200 volatile organic compounds, which then react with ozone in the air to form other potentially dangerous chemicals, according to a new research paper published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Researchers say that these chemicals may enter our lungs daily and may have yet unknown effects on our respiratory health.
“Some molecules nucleate into new, larger molecules that can effectively be deposited in our lungs,” said Dusan Lesina, an assistant professor at the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering in Switzerland, according to an interview with Newsweek.
He adds: “In my opinion, we still do not fully understand the health effects of these pollutants, but they may be more harmful than we think, especially because they are placed near our breathing area. Therefore, we need new toxicological studies.”
Volatile compounds and their accumulation in the lungs
Personal care products contain a large mixture of VOCs, including monoterpenes, acetaldehyde, siloxanes, alcohols, and alkanes.
“Therefore, indoor use of personal hygiene products is a potentially important source of human exposure to VOCs. The use of personal hygiene product compounds can produce strong intermittent emissions,” the researchers wrote in the paper.
“I know this is hard to hear, but we have to reduce our dependence on these products, or replace them, if possible, with more natural alternatives that contain aromatic compounds with low chemical reactivity,” Lesina said. “Another useful measure is to raise awareness of these issues among professionals.” Medical personnel and staff who work with vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly.”