News Items

News Item - February 2005

"Plastic flooring may cause allergies and asthma in children"

A recent Swedish- Danish study, led by Carl-Gusta Bornehag of the Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, has established a relationship between allergic symptoms in children and the concentration of plasticisers in plastics in the children's home.

"This study, of children 1 to 6 years of age in the county of Varmland, Sweden, also found that PVC flooring in the child's bedroom was positively associated with symptoms. Different phthalate compounds in dust samples were associated with different symptoms. The researchers suggest that their study design was stringent, and the actual impact may be larger."

" Phthalates are all around us in a host of plastic products," said Dr. Jim Burkhart, science editor for Environmental Health Perspectives. "This study suggests that they may be having a direct influence on the health of a great number of children. We need to continue research in this area to balance the benefits of plastics with the need to battle asthma and allergies in children."

• Read a Press Release   for this study.
  
  
• Read the Published Paper   of this study.