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2011/06/02 China Times [Li Zongyou / Taipei Report]
The plasticizer DEHP not only causes underdevelopment of "little brothers" but also triggers precocious puberty in girls! A research team from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) found through long-term tracking studies that Taiwan's highly plasticized home environments have indoor DEHP concentrations far exceeding those of other countries, with DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) accounting for 90% of the total. Excessive use of plastic products in homes leads to an increased risk of precocious puberty in girls and allergic asthma in children.
Led by NCKU Vice President Su Huey-jen and Professor Lee Chia-yang from the Institute of Environmental Medicine, the research team began tracking 193 children aged 2 to 12 in July 2007 for a three-year study. This marks Taiwan's first large-scale systematic investigation into the health effects of indoor DEHP exposure on children.
Lee pointed out that DEHP is widely used in various daily products, including plastic goods, cosmetics, detergents, clothing, toys, flooring, and more—it is everywhere.
The team analyzed and compared the urine of normal children, girls with precocious puberty, and children with allergic asthma, finding that the concentration of DEHP metabolites in girls with precocious puberty was 4.5 times higher than in normal children, while children with allergic asthma had levels 1.3 to 2 times higher. This confirms that excessive use of plastic products in homes significantly increases the risks of precocious puberty in girls and allergic asthma in children.
The study also revealed that the average DEHP concentration in household dust in Taiwan is as high as 1.37 mg per gram of dust, the highest in the world. Lee noted that few countries in international research reports exceed 1 mg—"Our concentration is the highest globally," with DEHP making up 90% of the substances in dust. Homes where floors are frequently waxed or where parents work in factories producing plastics, rubber, paint, pesticides, or cosmetics also show significantly higher DEHP levels, up to twice that of average households.
Lee further explained that household electrical cables release DEHP when heated during use or standby mode. Using microwave ovens to heat food wrapped in plastic cling film is another major source of elevated indoor DEHP pollution.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 110602/ 4/ 2slfj. html
Taiwan Leads in Household Plastic Toxin Levels
The plasticizer DEHP not only causes underdevelopment of "little brothers" but also triggers precocious puberty in girls! A research team from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) found through long-term tracking studies that Taiwan's highly plasticized home environments have indoor DEHP concentrations far exceeding those of other countries, with DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) accounting for 90% of the total. Excessive use of plastic products in homes leads to an increased risk of precocious puberty in girls and allergic asthma in children.
Led by NCKU Vice President Su Huey-jen and Professor Lee Chia-yang from the Institute of Environmental Medicine, the research team began tracking 193 children aged 2 to 12 in July 2007 for a three-year study. This marks Taiwan's first large-scale systematic investigation into the health effects of indoor DEHP exposure on children.
Lee pointed out that DEHP is widely used in various daily products, including plastic goods, cosmetics, detergents, clothing, toys, flooring, and more—it is everywhere.
The team analyzed and compared the urine of normal children, girls with precocious puberty, and children with allergic asthma, finding that the concentration of DEHP metabolites in girls with precocious puberty was 4.5 times higher than in normal children, while children with allergic asthma had levels 1.3 to 2 times higher. This confirms that excessive use of plastic products in homes significantly increases the risks of precocious puberty in girls and allergic asthma in children.
The study also revealed that the average DEHP concentration in household dust in Taiwan is as high as 1.37 mg per gram of dust, the highest in the world. Lee noted that few countries in international research reports exceed 1 mg—"Our concentration is the highest globally," with DEHP making up 90% of the substances in dust. Homes where floors are frequently waxed or where parents work in factories producing plastics, rubber, paint, pesticides, or cosmetics also show significantly higher DEHP levels, up to twice that of average households.
Lee further explained that household electrical cables release DEHP when heated during use or standby mode. Using microwave ovens to heat food wrapped in plastic cling film is another major source of elevated indoor DEHP pollution.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 110602/ 4/ 2slfj. html