Note to Pregnant Mothers: Beware of Perchloroethylene and Phthalates
When thinking about how many chemicals you are around every day, you might become concerned. The variety of substances everyday Americans are exposed to in the indoor chemical soup is astonishing. Every minute spent indoors we are exposed to microdoses of chemicals that you may have never heard of. These microdoses can be extremely detrimental to your health and especially to the development of an unborn baby. Two common household chemicals that you have been exposed to in the home are Perchloroethylene (PERC or PCE) and Phthalates. PERC and phthalates are two of the most dangerous household chemicals for you and your baby. Most people have never even heard of these chemicals, however, they have a range of degrading effects on the unborn child and exposure can be easily reduced.
PERC
Perchloroethylene is a commercially used organic solvent most commonly found in carpet cleaners, spot removers, and dry cleaning solutions. PERC has been commercially used since the early 1900s and we are just beginning to understand its detrimental health effects. If you have ever been to the dry cleaners, you have been exposed to this noxious chemical. The residual smell of “fresh” clothing from the cleaners is the scent of PERC.
The chemical usually enters to body through the respiratory system from inhalation or by skin exposure when wearing dry cleaned clothing. Many people living in buildings where dry cleaners are located have reported dizziness, loss of coordination, chronic headaches, and many other symptoms. According to the chief scientist of the environmental protection for the New York Attorney General’s Office, PERC is a neurotoxin.¹ PERC is currently on the list of the EPA’s top 10 toxic threats.¹⁴ Although PERC’s noxious effects are now well known, its effects of the prenatal fetus have only recently been discovered due to a tragic case of PERC in a communities drinking water.
In 1992, a shocking discovery was made in Cape Cod Massachusetts. A beautiful part of the New England known for its beaches, glistening saltwater pools, and clear Atlantic water was plagued with PERC in its drinking water. Due to the Cape’s unique geography and booming population, drinking water on the cape was particularly vulnerable to contamination. In order to combat the contamination, companies began lining water pipes with vinyl. The vinyl was prepared using PERC as the solvent and sprayed inside the inner lining of water pipes. PERC was not given time to evaporate, resulting the residents’ consumption of the organic solvent for twenty four years. During these years Cape Cod residents experienced lung, breast and colorectal cancer rate which were well above the state average.⁴
Although a tragedy, the discovery of PERC in the Cape Cod residents’ drinking water gave Boston University researchers a unique opportunity to study the solvent. Thousands of residents of Cape Cod are still suffering from PERC’s many neurodegenerative effects. BU researchers have made a number of important discoveries involving, pregnancy outcomes and development of children who were exposed while in the womb. Researchers were able to pinpoint Cape Cod residents who were exposed to the highest levels of PERC prenatally.⁴
One of the studies in 2012 showed that there is evidence that prenatal and early childhood exposure to PERC can cause impairments in vision in adulthood. PERC exposed children showed significantly lower contrast sensitivity when in adulthood, providing evidence that prenatal PERC exposure was the culprit for long term visual dysfunction in adulthood.²
Another 2012 Boston University study from Cape Cod examined the occurrence of various mental illnesses after prenatal exposure to PERC. BU researchers found a 1.8 fold increase in bipolar disorder, 1.5 fold increase in PTSD, and a 2.1 fold increase in schizophrenia in adults who were exposed prenatally. In addition, they also found evidence that prenatal exposure to PERC leads to riskier behavior in adulthood and during teenage years. Rates of illicit drug use are much higher in teenagers who were exposed.³
Another very significant find from the Boston University’s series of studies in Cape Cod illustrated that prenatal PERC exposure can increase the risk of children born with oral clefts, neural tube defects and stillborn rates. They also found that PERC exposure during pregnancy does not influence the risk of low birth weight, pregnancy loss, or premature births.⁴
The series of studies on Cape Cod illustrates how researchers can take advantage of environmental tragedies and learn about the outcome of a certain chemical. Hopefully, policy makers will continue to use the knowledge gained from this disaster to push heavier regulations on the use of PERC on household cleaning products such as carpet cleaners and spot removers. Recently the EPA has ordered a phase-out of PERC machines in residential buildings by 2020 and California plans on eliminating all use of PERC by 2023. Much more research needs to be done to know the full range of effects.³
Unfortunately, a common theme in environmental health is that when a chemical is found to be dangerous, industry will do all they can to steer against government regulations. In this case, The Dry cleaning and Laundry Institute and the National Cleaners Association are fighting against regulations. They argue:
“any future decision to reduce or phase out the use of PERC in dry cleaning will put an oppressive burden on thousands of cleaners” and that “sadly, in taking any radical regulatory action the EPA will be doing little to reduce the negligible risks associated with the use, while threatening the future viability of thousands of dry cleaners.” ¹⁴
The good news is that you can easily reduce your exposure to PERC simply avoiding the dry cleaners and spot removers containing PERC. Pregnant mothers in the dry cleaning business should take leave and not work while carrying a baby.
Phthalates
Phthalates are found in many household cleaning and personal care products. They are used in hundreds of products such as lotions, soaps, shampoos, perfumes, air fresheners, laundry detergent and platicizers. Almost any product that labels “fragrance” will have phthalates in them. Phthalate exposure tends to be increased during pregnancy because of changes in life habits such as different diets and the use of baby care products. Phthalates make up the vast majority of dust particles in the indoor environment as they leach form almost any cheap plastic products found in the home. Because phthalates are found in such high quantities in dust particles, they are virtually impossible to avoid, but exposure during pregnancy can be limited by using the right cleaning products and by taking measures to minimize dust particles in the household.¹
Every day, Americans are ingesting, absorbing through skin, and inhaling a significant load of phthalates. Multitudes of research have shown that phthalates are “endocrine disruptors.” Endocrine disruptors are dangerous because they mimic hormones and interrupt their production, causing a variety of dangerous health effects, many related to pregnancy and development of the fetus and reproductive health in adulthood.¹
Phthalates are particularly dangerous to the fetus because they are able to cross from the maternal blood to the developing fetus by placental transfer. They have been studied for a very long time and there is plenty of research illustrating the harm they cause on prenatal development.
One common phthalate, DEHP, is known to be associated with a decrease in levels of sex hormones. Low sex hormone levels can have a wide range of birth defects regarding the gender of the baby and the babies genitals. Many studies show a correlation with phthalate exposure and the prevalence of hypospadias. Hypospadias is a birth defect in baby boys where the urethra is located on the underside of the penis rather than the tip. Phthalate exposure during pregnancy can also cause a decrease in anogenital distance. Anogenital distance is the distance from the anus to the genitalia. Anogenital distance is a sensitive marker for the fetal exposure to anti-androgens, such as phthalates. This suggests that phthalates contribute to elevated levels of anti androgens to the fetus. The good news is that there are no significant finds that support an association between phthalates and body size at birth.⁷
Phthalates are also very detrimental for child development outside of the womb. There is a growing number of reports indicating that phthalates interfere with thyroid function, causing a cascade of negative health effects.¹³ One of these effects is an elevated risk for precocious puberty leading to a heightened risk of developing breast cancer in adulthood.¹⁰
Phthalates also very well might a culprit for the recent spike in asthma incidences. Many European studies showed that PVC flooring and wall coverings with phthalates is associated with asthma and respiratory problems in children.⁸
Here a quote from the EPA in 2012 on their current action plan to regulate plasticizers :
“EPA is concerned about phthalates because of their toxicity and the evidence of pervasive human and environmental exposure to them. Thus, EPA intends to initiate action to address the manufacturing, processing, distribution in commerce, and/or use of these eight phthalates. EPA intends to take action as part of a coordinated approach with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).¹⁵”
Because Phthalates are so prevalent in our everyday lives, there are many ways we can cut down on exposure. Here is a list of options:
- avoid putting food on or in plastic
- Use a water filter
- cut down on processed foods and eat organic meats
- make sure the vacuum you use has a HEPA filter
- buy plastic products with recycling codes 1,2, or 5… not 3 and 7
- Use a stainless steel water bottle
- Beware of plastic baby bottles
- buy products with natural fragrances
Research on household chemicals is becoming more and more important as people around the world spend an increasing percentage of their time indoors. There is enough research on PERC and phthalate to conclude that they are very detrimental to pregnancy outcomes and the development of the fetus. PERC and Phthalates are only two of the many chemicals in the chemical soup present in the household. More research needs to be done on these two chemicals as well as the hundreds of others so better regulations can be passed and pregnant women can know the consequences of what they are exposing their babies to.
References:
1. Sholl, Jessie “8 Hidden Toxins: What’s Lurking in Your Cleaning Products?” Experience Life Magazine; October 2011
2. Getz, Kelly “Prenatal and Early Childhood Exposure to Tetrachloroethylene and Adult Vision;” Environmental Health Perspective Vol 120 No 9; September 2012 99 1327–1332
3. Aschengrau A. “Occurrence of mental illness following prenatal and early childhood exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated drinking water: a retrospective cohort study.” ; Environ Health. 2012 Jan 20;11:2.
4. Moran Barbara “Toxic Legacy- How Cape Cod drinking water shaped the career of epidemiologist Ann Aschengrau” Boston University Research
5. Carwile Jenny “Prenatal drinking-water exposure to tetrachloroethylene and ischemic placental disease: a retrospective cohort study” Environmental Health 2014
6. Jurewicz Joanna “Exposure to Phthalates: Reproductive Outcome and Children Health. A review of Epidemiological Studies” International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health; Heidelberg Vol 24 Iss.2 June 2011
7. Cecile Marie “Obstetrical outcomes and biomarkers to assess exposure to phthalates: A review” Volume 83, October 2015
8. Bornehag CG, Sundell J “Dampness” at home and its association with airway, nose and skin symptoms among 10 851 preschool children in Sweden: A aoss sectional study. Indoor Air 2005; 15:48–55.
9. . Key TJ, Verkasalo PK, Banks E. Epidemiology of breast cancer. Lancet Oncol 2001;2:133–40.
10. Sippell WG Pathogenesis and epidemiology of precocious puberty. Effects of exogenous oestrogens. Hum Reprod Update 2001; 7:292–302.
11. Brasche S, Bischof W Daily time spent indoors in German homes — baseline data for the assessment of indoor exposure of German occupants. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2005; 208(4): 247–53
12. Bornehag CG, Sundell J, Weschler CJ, Sigsgaard T, Lundgren B, Hasselgren M, et al. The association between asthma and allergic symptoms in children and phthalates in house dust: A nested case-control study. Environ Health Perspect 2004;112:1393–7.
13. Boas M, Feldt-Rasmussen U, Skakkebaek NE, Main KM. Environmental chemicals and thyroid function. Eur J Endocrinol 2006;154:599–611.
14. The E.P.A.’s Top 10 Toxic Threats, and Industry’s Pushback; New York times October 21 2017
15. US environmental Protection Agency: Phthalates Action Plan: 03/14/2012
