Are Paint Fumes a Health Concern? Here ’s What the Latest Science Says

If you’re one of the many homeowners considering using this summer to repaint your house or apartment, you might have been concerned to hear that, according to a just-published study in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine, women exposed to common paint chemicals at work are more likely to have a child with autism spectrum disorder. Further, the greater the exposure, the greater the autism risk, the study found. These risks remained even after the researchers adjusted their data to account for other potential autism factors, such as a woman’s smoking history, alcohol habits, and age at the time her child was born. The new study isn’t proof that paint and related chemical exposures cause autism, and should be “interpreted with caution,” the authors write. But the findings are in line with previous studies that found an association between paint chemicals and autism. And there’s a growing body of evidence linking the many chemicals found in paint and its fumes to a number of health issues. Benzene, for example, is an established carcinogen that turns up in some paints, particularly oil-based paints, as well as in art and crafts supplies like glue and dry-erase markers, vehicle exhaust, and pesticides. As with other carcinogens, it’s likely people mostly have to worry about long-term or very high amounts of benzene exposure. But spending time in a poorly ventilated and newly painted room could expose people to elevated ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news