- Scientists have found that surfaces in our homes, such as walls or furniture, act like “chemical sponges”, absorbing toxic compounds.
- Pose materials can release harmful substances even for a year, which leads to long -term exposure to LZO from daily products and pollution.
- Learn how simple actions can effectively minimize the risk of exposure to toxins in your home!
Some items at home absorb toxic substances from the air
Scientists from the University of California, Irvine, made a breakthrough discovery in the field of air quality in rooms. Their research, published in the prestigious “Processings of the National Academy of Sciences”, reveal that the surfaces in buildings – walls, wood, concrete – act like “chemical sponge”, absorbing and releasing volatile organic compounds (LZO) for a long time, even many months after the initial exposure.
LZOs come from various sources, from external pollutants, such as smoke from forest fires, to daily products, such as cleaning sprays, cosmetics and cooking vapors. Experiments carried out in a controlled environment, simulating the house, showed that the surfaces of the buildings consume huge amounts of these toxins.
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These items release a dangerous relationship. What to watch out for?
Professor Manab Shiraiwa, one of the authors of the study, emphasizes that the scale of this phenomenon is surprisingly large. Pose materials, such as painted walls, wood and concrete, are particularly problematic because they can stop harmful substances for up to a year, and then slowly release them into the air in the process called off-gassing. This means that exposure to toxins can last long after the original source of pollution disappears.
Exposure to these harmful compounds occurs in two ways: by inhaling contaminated air and direct contact of the skin with surfaces. This is particularly important for people who spend most of their time in closed rooms – and they are the vast majority of society.
A good example are tobacco smoke ingredients. They settle on the walls and furniture, and then gradually release into the air, exposing the inhabitants to long -term, chronic exposure. The usual weathering of the rooms often turns out to be insufficient to completely eliminate this risk.
How to reduce the risk of exposure to toxins at home?
Despite potentially disturbing research conclusions, scientists point to effective and simple methods of minimizing risk. Cleaning regularly is key – thorough vacuuming and washing the surface significantly reduces the number of toxins accumulated. In addition, they recommend paying attention to the composition of used detergents and cosmetics, choosing those that contaminate the home environment to a lesser extent.
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