Monitoring Desk
CALIFORNIA: Scientists in the United States (US) said people who have a frequent, long commute involving driving or being a passenger in a car may unknowingly be putting their health at risk.
These are the findings of a new study published in the journal ‘Environment International’.
The investigators from the University of California, Riverside, conducted the study in zebrafish and human participants.
According to the ‘Medical News Today,’ the new study showed that the foam that manufacturers use in the padding of some car seats contains tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate, also known as “chlorinated tris” or TDCIPP, which is a potentially dangerous amounts of a substance that specialists said could cause cancer.
TDCIPP features on the Proposition 65 list that the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment issue. The list records chemicals that can cause cancer or other health problems, including birth abnormalities.
Even though TDCIPP is a known carcinogen, many companies — particularly in the automotive industry — still use it as a flame retardant in the foam that pads car seats, the ‘Medical News Today,’ reported.
However, the new study suggested that long commutes in the car could expose people to the dangerous chemical.
Associate Professor David Volz and his team have been studying the effects that TDCIPP and similar chemicals can have on health since 2011.
When they exposed zebrafish embryos to TDCIPP, the chemical prevented their normal development.
The team recruited 88 participants from among the students at the University of California, Riverside.
The co-author of the study, AalekyhaReddam — a graduate student at the university — noted that one’s “exposure to TDCIPP was higher, the longer the fellow spent in the vehicle.
Consequently, the researchers suggested that car owners should frequently dust their vehicles and closely follow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines on reducing exposure to flame retardant chemicals.
Courtesy: (newtelegraphng.com)
