12-29-2007, 01:14 PM
CARLY WEEKS
From Friday's Globe and Mail
December 27, 2007 at 11:03 PM EST
Ottawa ââ¬â Forget lead paint in toys. Canadians may be exposed to a much wider variety of metals, chemicals and pesticides on a daily basis as the result of a seemingly harmless domestic nuisance: house dust.
It's a potential health hazard that scientists are only beginning to understand. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have embarked on a landmark four-year national study to determine levels of metals and chemicals in house dust across the country, and how health risks should be addressed.
Dust typically contains a variety of toxins released by common household products including plastics, electronics, furniture, garden soil and lead paint, which is common in older homes.
Scientists don't know for sure where all the toxins commonly found in dust come from. They also don't know the typical concentration of metals and other toxins in house dust.
Unlike lead paint on toys or chemicals in plastic, scientists say house dust presents a unique risk because the loose, free particles can be easily ingested by children crawling on the floor or may be inhaled when dust becomes airborne.
Research has linked lead, flame retardants and pesticides found in house dust with the accumulation of these toxins in children's bodies. "We've found high levels of lead in house dust is associated with higher blood lead levels in kids," said Paul Lioy, director of the exposure science division of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, at jointly sponsored by Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
"We don't know what typical concentrations are for metals in house dust and other substances," said Pat Rasmussen, research scientist at Health Canada and principal investigator of the national house dust study.
"There is potential for a child to swallow dust containing lead," Ms. Rasmussen said. "The message we want to get across is yes, those children can become over-exposed just from normal hand-to-mouth activities."
One of the major questions federal government researchers are will focusing on in their study is why indoor house dust often has significantly higher levels of lead and other metals than outdoor soil or water.
It's a baffling phenomenon that may have significant implications, because it could mean that soil cleanups and other measures don't address some of the major sources of human exposure to metals.
"There's a lot we don't know about house dust and what makes it potentially worrisome is just the number of chemicals and various things that end up in house dust," said Kapil Khatter, an Ottawa-based family physician and pollution policy adviser for Environmental Defence, a national advocacy group.
Scientists do know that dust is the main source of human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers, used widely as flame-retardant additives in electronics and furniture., which These chemicals can accumulate and remain in a person's system for years, according to a study published in 2005 by the American Chemical Society.
"What we suspect is that because some of these chemicals are neurotoxic, they can then influence your brain and how your brain works," said Miriam Diamond, an environmental science professor at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study.
"Toddlers and little kids pick up more dust than we do and they're more vulnerable to these effects."
Children's brains are still developing, and toxic substances can interfere with normal growth, she said.
For adults, "dust is a significant part of total exposure for certain kinds of contaminants," said Ruthann Rudel, senior scientist and toxicologist at the Silent Spring Institute, a non-profit research organization based in Massachusetts. Ms. Rudel conducted a study that found pesticides and flame retardants in Cape Cod homes.
In their house dust study, researchers from Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada researchers will test house dust samples from 1,040 randomly selected detached homes across 13 Canadian cities in Canada, including in Barrie, Ont., Hamilton and Thunder Bay.
There are currently no limits or regulations for levels of toxic substances in house dust, and Health Canada cautions that the a presence of metals and chemicals in dust doesn't necessarily mean individuals will be exposed to harmful levels of the substances. But researchers conducting the federal study will alert homeowners when they detect high levels of lead or other harmful materials. Investigators will base that evaluation on previous scientific findings.
Health Canada plans to make the results public once the study is complete in 2010. The department may consider creating guidelines so people can be made aware of potential risks posed by involving house dust.
Pat Rasmussen, research scientist at Health Canada and principal investigator of the national house dust survey, led a study in 2000 that found dust in 50 Ottawa homes contained "significantly higher concentrations" of many elements, including lead, mercury and cadmium, than outdoor soil.
Although levels varied widely, researchers detected lead in house dust at several hundred to several thousand parts per million. By comparison, federal limits for lead in most toys is 600 parts per million.
One of the best ways to eliminate the potential hazards is to keep floors and other surfaces clean and dust-free, said Dr. Rasmussen. It's also very important to remove footwear before walking around the house, since outside soil may contain metals that can be tracked through the house.
Keeping a clean house won't stop the release of lead or flame retardants into house dust. But until researchers have a better understanding of how dust becomes contaminated and the level of risk it poses, it's the best solution to a perplexing problem.
"I think it won't be long until more studies have the ability to relate some of these toxic chemicals with a wide range of behaviour effects," Dr. Diamond said.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/s...ealth/home
From Friday's Globe and Mail
December 27, 2007 at 11:03 PM EST
Ottawa ââ¬â Forget lead paint in toys. Canadians may be exposed to a much wider variety of metals, chemicals and pesticides on a daily basis as the result of a seemingly harmless domestic nuisance: house dust.
It's a potential health hazard that scientists are only beginning to understand. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have embarked on a landmark four-year national study to determine levels of metals and chemicals in house dust across the country, and how health risks should be addressed.
Dust typically contains a variety of toxins released by common household products including plastics, electronics, furniture, garden soil and lead paint, which is common in older homes.
Scientists don't know for sure where all the toxins commonly found in dust come from. They also don't know the typical concentration of metals and other toxins in house dust.
Unlike lead paint on toys or chemicals in plastic, scientists say house dust presents a unique risk because the loose, free particles can be easily ingested by children crawling on the floor or may be inhaled when dust becomes airborne.
Research has linked lead, flame retardants and pesticides found in house dust with the accumulation of these toxins in children's bodies. "We've found high levels of lead in house dust is associated with higher blood lead levels in kids," said Paul Lioy, director of the exposure science division of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, at jointly sponsored by Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
"We don't know what typical concentrations are for metals in house dust and other substances," said Pat Rasmussen, research scientist at Health Canada and principal investigator of the national house dust study.
"There is potential for a child to swallow dust containing lead," Ms. Rasmussen said. "The message we want to get across is yes, those children can become over-exposed just from normal hand-to-mouth activities."
One of the major questions federal government researchers are will focusing on in their study is why indoor house dust often has significantly higher levels of lead and other metals than outdoor soil or water.
It's a baffling phenomenon that may have significant implications, because it could mean that soil cleanups and other measures don't address some of the major sources of human exposure to metals.
"There's a lot we don't know about house dust and what makes it potentially worrisome is just the number of chemicals and various things that end up in house dust," said Kapil Khatter, an Ottawa-based family physician and pollution policy adviser for Environmental Defence, a national advocacy group.
Scientists do know that dust is the main source of human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers, used widely as flame-retardant additives in electronics and furniture., which These chemicals can accumulate and remain in a person's system for years, according to a study published in 2005 by the American Chemical Society.
"What we suspect is that because some of these chemicals are neurotoxic, they can then influence your brain and how your brain works," said Miriam Diamond, an environmental science professor at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study.
"Toddlers and little kids pick up more dust than we do and they're more vulnerable to these effects."
Children's brains are still developing, and toxic substances can interfere with normal growth, she said.
For adults, "dust is a significant part of total exposure for certain kinds of contaminants," said Ruthann Rudel, senior scientist and toxicologist at the Silent Spring Institute, a non-profit research organization based in Massachusetts. Ms. Rudel conducted a study that found pesticides and flame retardants in Cape Cod homes.
In their house dust study, researchers from Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada researchers will test house dust samples from 1,040 randomly selected detached homes across 13 Canadian cities in Canada, including in Barrie, Ont., Hamilton and Thunder Bay.
There are currently no limits or regulations for levels of toxic substances in house dust, and Health Canada cautions that the a presence of metals and chemicals in dust doesn't necessarily mean individuals will be exposed to harmful levels of the substances. But researchers conducting the federal study will alert homeowners when they detect high levels of lead or other harmful materials. Investigators will base that evaluation on previous scientific findings.
Health Canada plans to make the results public once the study is complete in 2010. The department may consider creating guidelines so people can be made aware of potential risks posed by involving house dust.
Pat Rasmussen, research scientist at Health Canada and principal investigator of the national house dust survey, led a study in 2000 that found dust in 50 Ottawa homes contained "significantly higher concentrations" of many elements, including lead, mercury and cadmium, than outdoor soil.
Although levels varied widely, researchers detected lead in house dust at several hundred to several thousand parts per million. By comparison, federal limits for lead in most toys is 600 parts per million.
One of the best ways to eliminate the potential hazards is to keep floors and other surfaces clean and dust-free, said Dr. Rasmussen. It's also very important to remove footwear before walking around the house, since outside soil may contain metals that can be tracked through the house.
Keeping a clean house won't stop the release of lead or flame retardants into house dust. But until researchers have a better understanding of how dust becomes contaminated and the level of risk it poses, it's the best solution to a perplexing problem.
"I think it won't be long until more studies have the ability to relate some of these toxic chemicals with a wide range of behaviour effects," Dr. Diamond said.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/s...ealth/home