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National Library ToxNet

Hello!
In this week’s BLOG we will be using the National Library ToxNet to review and describe one or more health effects that are associated with exposures to urea formaldehyde (found in press board, a common building material) and bleach (a cleaning/disinfectant product).
Based on the National Library ToxNet website, Urea-formaldehyde is an amorphous powder that is mainly in plastics and rubber. It is commonly used in plywood and particle board and wrinkle-resistance agents in textiles. It is also molded for electrical devices and other home applications. The use of Urea-formaldehyde was banned in home insulation in 1982 due to the release of formaldehyde being an indoor hazard. The most adverse health effects caused by Urea-formaldehyde are asthma (occupational) and contact dermatitis. Asthma is considered to be an airway disease that is characterized by an airflow limitation, inflammation, or hyper-responsiveness  due to certain causes and conditions attributed to occupational environment.
I searched bleach on the National Library’s ToxNet website and selected chlorine (bleach in a liquid form) for this section. Based on the website, it is an important commercial chemical and has a wide range of uses as a disinfectant. The health effects include irritation and burns to skin, eyes, nose, and throat. This could then be followed by shortness of breath and chest pain if exposed to high vapor levels. In the event of exposure to extremely high vapor levels it may cause loss of oxygen leading to cardiac or respiratory arrest and even death.
Hope you enjoyed this post!

-Iliana

Comments

  1. Navdeep BrarSeptember 30, 2018 at 4:06 PM

    Hi Iliana,

    I had also done some research on Chlorine (it is a common ingredient in the clean products I use). Its surprising that we can still use chlorine as a household product given how toxic it can be. Even though detrimental effects are seen if the product is misused (i.e. intentionally consumed or inhaled) I think the government should rethink allowing this chemical on selves of stores like Target and Costco. For our past post, I have found that cleaning products, such as Lysol, can do the same thing as bleaches and chlorines, but with less exposure to harmful chemicals

    ReplyDelete

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