Poisonous household products release more harmful smog chemicals than vehicles
Household aerosols including deodorants and cleaning sprays used in UK release more harmful smog chemicals per year than all the vehicles in the country, scientists warn. And the situation is similar all around the globe.
- Experts say UK population emits around 60,000 tons of VOCs from aerosols
- VOCs – volatile organic compounds – are a large group of odorous chemicals released by household products
- This is twice as much as the 30,000 tons of VOCs from all UK passenger cars
- They’ve been linked to term chronic health effects – including lung conditions
At present, household aerosols release more harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than all vehicles, a new UK study reveals. In 2017, the UK population emitted around 60,000 tons of VOCs from aerosols but only around 30,000 tons from UK cars running gasoline. But even accounting for all forms of road transport in the country – not just cars, but motorbikes, vans, lorries and buses – aerosols still emit more VOCs, the experts say.
VOCs are a large group of odorous chemicals, many of which are released by cleaning and beauty products, burning fuel and cooking. Exposure to some VOCs has been linked to term chronic health effects, including lung conditions, liver and kidney damage, nerve problems and cancer. In the presence of sunlight, VOCs also combine with nitrogen oxides (NOx) to cause smog, which itself is harmful to human health and damages crops and plants.
The experts are urging the public, policy makers and manufacturers to make the switch away from aerosols to the widely-available alternatives. A recent study by the University of York and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science reveals that the picture is damaging globally with the world’s population now using huge numbers of disposable aerosols.
yogaesoteric
March 24, 2022
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