Cleaning every week with powerful products could pose a fatal risk. The disinfectant cleaning products that we use every day might have a slight chance of increasing the risk of developing lung conditions. Such an example is the bleach.
According to researchers, some of these conditions may be even fatal. Harvard University together with the French National Institute of Health conducted a study which determined that using this product once a week could have problematic consequences.
Researchers believe that they might increase the chance of developing COPD, or in other words, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Therefore, people should avoid using an excessive amount of bleach to clean the house.
Detailed Analysis
This research conducted by Harvard University and the French National Institute of Health lasted for 30 years. Evidence concluded that the people who used this disinfectant product had a 32% chance to develop a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Furthermore, according to other research, more than 55,000 nurses participated to identify the link between the COPD and the bleach. The COPD affects 1.2 million people in the UK.
It represents a group of multiple lung conditions like chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which can make it difficult for the airways to function properly. Moreover, almost 25,000 people die from it every year only in England.
As such, this disease is the third deadliest in Europe. People know that the bleach can cause respiratory problems, like asthma. However, research believes, that is not the only problem it can cause.
Some chemicals found in specific cleaning products like the quaternary ammonium compounds could be connected with COPD. Therefore, constant exposure to disinfectant could cause serious changes and problems to the body, says Orianne Dumas, an Inserm researcher.
Conclusive Evidence
No bleach has specific health guidelines. That is why scientists believe that people shouldn’t ignore this problem. Because of the mass study and a specifically analyzed data on the nurses, researchers got their desired result. This study was ongoing since 1989 in the US.
There were 37% of nurses who used disinfectants on a regular basis and 19% who used them weekly. As a result, researchers concluded that the nurses who used too much of this disinfectant and had no history of COPD, 663 of them developed the condition afterward.
Moreover, the evidence was evaluated via a questionnaire and many other factors were considered as well, like the age, weight, and ethnicity.
During the meeting with the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Dumas talked about these findings. He believes that the constant usage of disinfectants has a 22-32% chance to increase the risk of developing COPD.
Finally, these findings could serve as a specific guideline for the usage of disinfectants for cleaning around the house. Maybe now you will be inspired to use a more natural solution for solving these problems at home. Meanwhile, you can take care of your health at the same time.
Source: The Guardian | Birmingham Mail | The Sun | Telegraph
