For decades, manufacturers have added a type of chemical compound called “polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)” to everyday objects in order to make them fireproof (furniture fabrics, electronic devices, etc.).
PBDEs can cause cancer and endocrine disruption
According to a new investigation, these PBDEs can be absorbed so easily through the skin that they end up in the bloodstream within just 24 hours.
“This is the first experimental evidence showing that certain chemical additives linked to many diseases, including cancer, endocrine disruption and reproductive harm, enter the human body through skin exposure,” Dr Ovokeroye Abafe, currently a senior lecturer in environmental sciences at Brunel University and author of the study, said in a press release.
“These results provide important data for policy makers who are now better able to legislate on olebrominated diphenyl ethers and protect public health against them,” he added.
Using skin models 3D printed from human keratinocytes, his team precisely measured how much two common forms of PBDE were absorbed in 24 hours.
The results showed that in a single day and night, up to 8% of the initial dose of PBDE could be absorbed by touch alone, with the effect being strongest on damp (hydrated or sweating) skin. .
PBDE: “these chemicals persist in the human body”
This may not seem like much, but remember that these substances are present in objects that we can interact with every day, several times a day. “These chemicals persist in the human body, so with continued or regular exposure, they gradually build up until they become harmful.”added Ovokeroye Abafe.
The problem is of particular concern in the United States, where tests have found that the American population has blood PBDE levels ten times higher than those found in Europeans.
“Unfortunately, in addition to PBDEs, there are myriads of toxic chemical additives that can potentially end up in the human body,” deplores the author of the study in conclusion.
His research is published in the journal Environment International.
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