Plastic wall materials in the home and respiratory health in young children

Abstract

Objectives. The relation between the presence of plastic wall materials in the home and respiratory health in children was assessed.Methods. This population-based cross-sectional study involved 2568 Finnish children aged 1 to 7 years.Results. In logistic regression models, lower respiratory tract symptoms-persistent wheezing (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=3.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13, 10.36), cough (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1. 04, 5.63), and phlegm (OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.03, 7.41)-were strongly related to the presence of plastic wall materials, whereas upper respiratory symptoms were not. The risk of asthma (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 0.35, 6.71) and pneumonia (OR=1.81, 95% CI=0.62, 5

Vinyl flooring in the home is associated with children’s airborne butylbenzyl phthalate and urinary metabolite concentrations

“…While a recent study in Sweden also found higher urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in infants in homes with vinyl flooring as compared to those without, 34 our study adds a demonstrated link between “vinyl or linoleum” flooring to higher air concentrations to higher urinary metabolite concentrations, thus strengthening the evidence for an airborne exposure pathway through which vinyl flooring may contribute to internal dose. Our findings that vinyl flooring may contribute via indoor air to children’s exposure to BBzP but not DEHP suggests that prior studies showing an association between vinyl flooring and children’s incident asthma 3, 35 and respiratory symptoms 4, 5 may be due to BBzP exposure. Thus, the additional understanding of sources of exposure and their contribution to measures of MBzP may fill a gap in the current scientific literature by providing a link between previous observations about flooring and respiratory symptoms and asthma.…”

“…3 Plastic wall materials also have been associated cross-sectionally with bronchial obstruction and persistent wheeze in children. 4, 5 The presumed important role of the phthalates in these epidemiologic associations between flooring and respiratory health has also spurred biomonitoring to better understand the specific sources, routes and health effects of the phthalate plasticizers. 2, 6 We recently reported that prenatal urinary butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP) metabolite concentrations were associated with incident childhood asthma 7 and that children’s urinary BBzP metabolite concentrations were associated cross-sectionally with airway inflammation in a New York City cohort.…”

The Role of Exposure to Phthalates from Polyvinyl Chloride Products in the Development of Asthma and Allergies: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…The Finnish (Jaakkola et al 2000) and the Russian studies (Jaakkola et al 2004) and the first phase of the Swedish study (Bornehag et al 2004a, 2005) were population-based cross-sectional studies. The Norwegian study (Jaakkola et al 1999; Øie et al 1999) was a one-to-one matched case–control study, and the second phase of the Swedish study (Bornehag et al 2004b) was a case–control study.…”

The Association Between Urinary Phthalates and Lung Function

“…Greater household dust concentrations of butyl-benzyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were found among Swedish children with rhinitis, eczema, or asthma than in children without allergic symptoms. 4 The amount of PVC plastic flooring and wall coverings has been associated with bronchial obstruction 5 and asthma 6 among Norwegian and Finish children, respectively. House dust concentrations of DEHP are higher in homes with more PVC plastic, 7 suggesting that the observed effect of plastic wall coverings may be mediated by phthalate exposure.…”