Wendy Hinckley on Surprise E-Cigarettes DangerousJamie, I think the point is that they are far less dangerous than traditional cigs and it seems most people's...
More Evidence on Connection Between Phthalates and Respiratory Health
A new study from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health finds that Children exposed to diethyl phthalate (DEP) and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP)—phthalate, two chemicals found in personal care and plastic products—have greater risk of asthma-related airway inflammation.
Phthalates Found in All Children Studied
All 244 children aged 5 to 9 in the study had detectable levels of phthalates in their urine, levels varied over a wide range. What was clear is that higher levels of both phthalates were associated with higher levels of nitric oxide in exhaled breath, a biological marker of airway inflammation.
The association between BBzP exposure and airway inflammation was especially strong among children who had recently reported wheeze, a common symptom of asthma.
Phthalates Very Common
Phthalates are used in many common consumer products, they are found in proooducts like plastics, vinyl flooring, and many personal care products, making exposure wide spread in the United States and other developed nations.
Phthalates enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, and absorption through the skin. Research suggests inhalation is a particularly important route of exposure to the two phthalates associated with airway inflammation in this study.
Phthalates are known to disrupt the endocrine system and early-life. Exposure is linked to asthma and to adverse neurobehavioral and reproductive effects. A recent study by Dr. Just and other CCCEH investigators found that prenatal exposure to BBzP was linked with increased risk of childhood eczema.
The study is the first to use exhaled nitric oxide in research of phthalate exposure in children. Using the biomarker in exhaled breath, allowed the researchers to overcame a significant hurdle. “Many asthma patients only have asthma exacerbations a few times a year, making it difficult to discern short-term associations between environmental exposures and the disease,” explains Matthew Perzanowski, PhD, senior author . “To solve this problem, we used nitric oxide, which has been shown to be a reliable marker of airway inflammation in response to known asthma triggers like vehicle emissions.”
