By Dr. Mercola
You’ve probably given careful consideration to the food your
children consume on a daily basis. But what about the other
environmental influences they’re exposed to on a near 24/7
basis, such as the materials in their living space and, more
specifically, your flooring?
It is likely no one in your home is more familiar with your
floor than young children or toddlers living there, as this is
where they spend a good deal of time – exploring, playing and
learning the ropes of life.
As they crawl, their hands (that will later end up in their
mouths) sweep across the surface, and their faces are in close
proximity to the material itself, and any emissions that have
accumulated in household dust.
Toxic chemicals, including some that are so dangerous to
children they have been banned from toys, are widely used in
popular flooring materials, and new research shows that these
chemicals can be taken up by infants’ bodies as they crawl along
on the floor.
Serious Risks from PVC Flooring Revealed
If your home contains soft, flexible plastic flooring, such
as vinyl or those padded play-mat floors for kids (often used in
day cares and kindergartens, too), there’s a good chance it is
made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). One of the main problems
with PVC is that it contains phthalates, or "plasticizers,"
which are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics
like PVC more flexible and resilient.
They're also one of the most pervasive endocrine disrupters
so far discovered. A new study conducted by Swedish researchers
found levels of certain phthalates were higher in the urine of
babies that had PVC flooring on their bedroom floor.1
Researchers concluded:
“The findings indicate that the use of soft PVC as
flooring material may increase the human uptake of
phthalates in infants. Urinary levels of phthalate
metabolites during early life are associated with the use of
PVC flooring in the bedroom, body area, and the use of
infant formula.
This study shows that the uptake of phthalates is not
only related to oral uptake from, for example, food but also
to environmental factors such as building materials. This
new information should be considered when designing indoor
environments, especially for children.”
This is not the first time PVC flooring has made headlines.
Past research has linked it to increased levels of phthalates in
household dust, which in turn is linked to chronic health
conditions like allergies and asthma. One study also found that
infants who lived in bedrooms with vinyl floors were twice as
likely to have autism as infants with wood flooring.2
What You Need to Know About PVC Flooring Chemicals
Along with common uses in PVC flooring, phthalates are also
commonly found in toys, food packaging, shower curtains, plastic
medical equipment, household cleaners, cosmetics and personal
care products.
According to a report by Environment and Human Health, Inc.
(EHHI), studies have shown women of childbearing age have
significantly higher phthalate exposures than other adults
(could this be because they also use the most cosmetics?), and
the chemical has been detected in 100 percent of pregnant women
tested.3
It's known that fetal exposure to phthalates is closely related
to maternal exposure, so many, if not all, babies are starting
out with exposure in the womb.
In childhood, children are further exposed to phthalates in
consumer products ranging from toys, pacifiers and food
packaging to personal care products and crawling on vinyl
flooring. The chemicals are known to be a major source of indoor
air pollution as well, as they are emitted from numerous
household goods, including not only flooring but also furniture,
upholstery, mattresses and wall coverings.
Phthalates have even been detected in infant formula and baby
food, likely because they migrated from the packaging materials.
This likely explains why the Swedish researchers found that
certain phthalate levels were lower in 2-month-old babies if
they were exclusively breastfed, with no supplements.
It’s alarming that children are being exposed to so many
phthalates, from so many sources, as these are
endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have been linked to a wide
range of developmental and reproductive “gender-bending”
effects, including.
More....
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/26/phthalates-in-floors-affect-childrens-health.aspx?e_cid=20120926_DNL_art_1