From Furniture To Shampoo: Common Household Chemicals Linked to Brain Damage
By CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY MARCH 27, 2024
https://scitechdaily.com/from-furniture-to-shampoo-common-household-chemicals-linked-to-brain-damage/ New research indicates that chemicals found in countless household products can damage specialized brain cells.A team of researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has provided fresh insight into the dangers some common household chemicals pose to brain health. They suggest that chemicals found in a wide range of items, from furniture to hair products, may be linked to neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis and autism spectrum disorders.
The new study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, discovered that some common home chemicals specifically affect the brain’s oligodendrocytes, a specialized cell type that generates the protective insulation around nerve cells.
“Loss of oligodendrocytes underlies multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases,” said the study’s principal investigator, Paul Tesar, the Dr. Donald and Ruth Weber Goodman Professor of Innovative Therapeutics and director of the Institute for Glial Sciences at the School of Medicine. “We now show that specific chemicals in consumer products can directly harm oligodendrocytes, representing a previously unrecognized risk factor for neurological disease.”
Chemicals of Concern and Their Effects
On the premise that not enough thorough research has been done on the impact of chemicals on brain health, the researchers analyzed over 1,800 chemicals that may be exposed to humans. They identified chemicals that selectively damaged oligodendrocytes belong to two classes: organophosphate flame retardants and quaternary ammonium compounds.
Since quaternary ammonium compounds are present in many personal-care products and disinfectants, which are being used more frequently since the COVID-19 pandemic began, humans are regularly exposed to these chemicals. And many electronics and furniture include organophosphate flame retardants.
