Hmm, I'm going to have to replace mine now.
Vinyl shower curtains can release as many as 100 chemicals. A new study was released by the US-based Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) and the Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) titled "Volatile Vinyl: The New Shower Curtain’s Chemical Smell."
The study claims "PVC shower curtains contain many harmful chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates and organotins. Toxic chemical off-gassing from PVC shower curtains may contribute to respiratory irritation, damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidney, nausea, headaches and loss of coordination."
I know phthalates have been big in the news lately. They are in pretty much everything you can imagine, even in toys and make-up. They are harmful and yet many daily used items still contain the chemical.
Of course when Environmental Defense issues a study I tend to take it seriously, though I am aware statistics are often skewed. However, in this instance we're not talking about human error in study groups picked by other humans. We're talking about recording chemical releases over a 28 day time period. How can you foul that up?
Makes you wonder, doesn't it?
SOURCELabels: chemicals, phthalates, vinyl |
