Higher levels of hormone-disrupting toxins in children using sunscreen: New study published

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

A new study has revealed that children who use more personal care products, such as sunscreen, lotion, soap, and hair care products, have higher levels of toxic phthalates in their bodies.

The study examined more than 600 urine samples from children aged four to eight.

The study's lead author and George Mason University researcher Michael Bloom stated that the findings of the study are 'concerning.'

Bloom said, 'The results show that the use of skin care products in children leads to their exposure to these chemicals,' adding, 'Another thing that is certainly concerning is that (children) tend to use these products frequently and over long periods of time.'

Bloom also noted that there is very little research on children's exposure to chemicals in personal care products.

WHAT ARE 'PHTHALATES'?

Phthalates are highly toxic endocrine disruptors that affect hormone production and are linked to reproductive, immune system, and metabolic diseases. They are also considered developmental toxins that affect children's behavior and learning abilities.

This toxic substance is an industrial product commonly used in plastic containers. Many companies add them to personal care products as fragrance enhancers or stabilizer ingredients. Phthalates can migrate from plastic containers into personal care products, and recent tests have also found that they commonly contaminate food and medicine.

Children are vulnerable to phthalate exposure because they have a higher skin surface area relative to their body weight. At the same time, their metabolic systems may not be fully developed to help process the compounds.

Although the body eliminates these chemicals quickly, people are exposed to them at such high levels and through such a wide variety of ways that phthalates pose a health risk.

Bloom noted the following regarding this situation:

'The habits that predispose us to exposure to these chemicals, such as lotion use, tend to be routine, so when we eliminate a dose... we feel the need to apply lotion the next morning.'

HIGHER PROPORTION OF HARMFUL SUBSTANCES IN CHEAPER PRODUCTS

The study also found that cheaper products are more likely to contain high levels of phthalates.

Researchers attribute this to the fact that the products may have remained in plastic tubes for longer periods and were 'most likely' exposed to higher heat. Both of these issues cause the chemicals to leach more rapidly.

The use of lotions and oils, such as moisturizers or sunscreens, was associated with finding high levels of phthalates in children. In those who reported using lotion within the previous 24 hours, a high rate of the type of phthalate that migrates from plastic into lotions was detected.

The presence of high doses of phthalates in the blood of children who used hair oil was strongly associated with the intentional addition of phthalates to the products.

News Source: 12punto