Chemical substances that affect our respiratory health

We know a lot about some of these chemicals, but about others it takes years and research to know if prolonged exposure is dangerous. Current knowledge, in the case, for example, of the child respiratory health, shed light on what we consider harmful and what not.

Our welfare society is the result of industrial development and, to a large extent, of chemical products such as detergents, insecticides, dyes or plastics. The chemicals in the products we eat or use every day (from food, cosmetics or utensils) need years of study to determine whether or not they are harmful to health. The World Health Organization () has a specific department, the International Program on Chemical Safety, where the impact of chemicals on our health is studied. In fact, it has already warned of the dangerousness of some from them such as asbestos, benzene, lead or dioxins.

Once its toxicity has been demonstrated, they are withdrawn from the market and they are replaced by others that, obviously, we do not know with certainty about their harmlessness until after a few years. The ideal would be to legislate to assess their damages before employing them in the industry, but this is not yet the case.

What do you call the exposome?

In recent years a new term has been coined, exposome, defined as the totality of environmental exposures that affect people from conception onwards, complementing the genome. The peculiarity of the exposome is that it is modifiable, for example, by changing habits or The concept of exposome encompasses three areas:

Main chemicals that affect our health: PFAS, phthalates and parabens

PFAS

They are widely used in industrial applications such as plasticizers. Due to its widespread use, PFAS have been detected in the environment, in fish, birds, and mammals. Therefore, can be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin. They are present in:

Phthalates

They are very present in our home and are used as a plasticizer. Phthalates have been found in house dust in some research. Therefore, they can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin if products containing them are used. Can be found in:

Parabens

They are substances that are used as preservatives in products of personal hygiene and cosmetics to prevent them from degenerating with microorganisms, that is, they have a function bactericidal and fungicidal. Are the most used for its low price. The most used in cosmetics are:

Parabens are also found in food and drinks, usually under the name of E-214 (methyl-P-Hydroxybenzoate), E-215 (sodium ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate), E-218 (methyl p-hydroxybenzoate) and E-219 (sodium methyl p-hydroxybenzoate). Fundamentally we find them in the following foods:

How do they affect the health of children?

The most delicate stages of life, in relation to exposure to toxins, are the prenatal and early childhood, where the organs develop and their vulnerability is maximum. An international study has just been published in the prestigious journal The Lancet Planetary Health carried out by the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal) and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM).

Prolonged exposure during pregnancy and early childhood to certain substances, common in our daily lives, is associated with worse respiratory health in childhood with lifelong repercussions, such as chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic diseases and even premature death.

This research focused on the early childhood exposome. They studied 1033 pregnant women and their children until they were 12 years old, from six European countries (Spain, France, England, Lithuania and Norway). A large number of environmental factors to which the children were exposed were measured, from air pollutants, noise or hormone disruptors, including the mothers' lifestyle. The result was based on the analysis of 85 prenatal and 125 postnatal exposures. To evaluate the respiratory function of the children, one was performed at 6 and 12 years.

It was concluded that prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS), specifically PFOA and PNFA, were associated with a 1-2% loss of lung capacity of the kids. Although the percentage seems very small, it must be considered that the effects are cumulative throughout life and at the population level 1% has a great impact.

Regarding exposure to toxins during the first years of life, a relationship was found between phthalates (already known as hormone disruptors) and the parabens with a decrease in respiratory function. The greater the exposure to these substances, the worse the children breathed.

What can we do?

Being aware of what can harm us, especially the little ones, is essential to lead a healthier life today and in the future. Studies on the impact of chemical substances on health are essential to alert manufacturers and governments that legislate the need to decrease the use of potentially harmful chemicals. It is practically impossible to avoid exposure to all of them, but we can minimize them in our home.

Pediatric Specialist

• Specific exogenous medium: as pollutants, diet, physical activity or tobacco.
• Endogenous environment: includes biological factors of the person such as metabolism, intestinal microflora and oxidative aggression.
  • Non-stick kitchen utensils
  • Stain-resistant or water-resistant coatings for fabrics
  • paints and varnishes
  • Furniture
  • Shoes
  • Coatings intended for food-safe paper products (such as microwave popcorn bags, candy wrap, or pizza boxes)
  • Cleaning and personal hygiene products (shampoo, dental floss)
  • Cosmetics (nail polish or makeup)
  • Insecticide formulas.
  • Toys
  • Glues and adhesives
  • Electronic devices
  • Construction materials
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  • Cosmetics and perfumes
  • Containers (like water bottles)
  • paints, varnishes, modeling clay, waxes and printing inks
  • Clothes and fabrics
  • Air fresheners or pesticides
  • Methylparaben
  • Propylparaben
  • Butylparaben
  • Ethylparaben
  • Ice creams
  • Pastry products
  • Refreshments
  • Cold cuts
  • Jellies
  • Oils