Daily Mirror - 03.03.2020

mirror.co.uk TUESDAY 03.03.2020 DAILY MIRROR^29

DM1ST

HEALTH

A

ir pollution indoors is causing

an epidemic of respiratory dis-

ease. The UK has the highest

rates in Europe, and the num-

ber of people diagnosed with chronic

obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

has jumped by 27% in the last decade.

Air-quality tests carried out by the

environment charity Global Action Plan

revealed the air inside homes in London

was 3.5 times WORSE than outdoors. 

There are several causes of indoor

pollution, explains Tim Robinson, Head

of Science at Airtopia, a social enter-

prise aimed at improving air quality.

“Building materials, paints, varnishes,

carpets, any products with an associ-

ated odour, are linked to VOCs (volatile

organic compounds) which can harm

people with respiratory conditions,

especially babies and young children.

“Personal care products, from plug-in

air fresheners to aerosols, dry cleaning

solvents, allergens (pollen, mould etc)

and combustion gases from cooking are

also factors.” So how can you make your

home healthier?

Living room

Ditch artificial air fresheners:

The global market for these is estimated

to reach £10million by 2023. But while

the make-up of different brands and

types of air fresheners will vary, many

release chemicals such as benzene,

hydrocarbon toluene, formaldehyde and

plasticizer phthalates, warns Tim.

Over-exposure to VOCs can lead to

eye, nose and throat irritation, head-

aches, nausea, a general feeling of illness

and, long-term, can

cause respiratory

and lung damage.

Tim says: “Air-

freshening products

mask unpleasant

odours in buildings.

“But if you’re using

them to cover up a

musty or musky

aroma, for instance,

look for signs of mould and deal with

that.” Treat the cause, not the smell.

Lose the cheap candles: Paraffin

wax candles (extracted from petroleum)

have been found to produce higher

levels of toxins than other wax types.

Choose candles with a “soot-free”

wick made of cotton or wood and clean-

burning waxes like soy, beeswax or

coconut. Check the ingredient list and

open windows when putting candles

out to minimise the smoke.

Don’t dry clothes on radiators:

This can raise moisture levels by up to

30%, creating ideal breeding conditions

for mould spores – a serious health risk

to people with weakened immune

systems or severe asthma.

If you can’t dry washing outside, use

a tumble dryer or a well-ventilated

indoor space away from living areas.

Burn it better: A wood-burning stove

emits more polluting parti-

cles an hour than a diesel

truck. The Government’s

Clean Air Strategy includes

plans to ban the sale of the

most polluting fuels and

ensure only the cleanest

stoves are available for sale

by 2022.

Burning scrap wood can

release chemicals into the

atmosphere while damp wood

massively raises pollution created

through soot and smoke. Better still,

burn smokeless fuel. Visit burnright.

co.uk for information on correct fuel

and stove usage.

Bedroom

Ban pets: More than half of all dog

and cat owners say their pet disrupts

their sleep nightly, while dander from

their fur can cause allergies.

Vacuum your bed: It could harbour

up to 1.5 million dust mites that can

trigger asthma and allergies, warns

Chartered Environmental Health Prac-

titioner Dr Lisa Ackerley.

So vacuum mattresses and pillows

regularly and use hypo-allergenic dust-

mite repellent covers. “And hang duvets

and pillows outdoors on crisp, cold days

to kill dust mites,” she adds.

Adjust the thermostat:

A cool 16-18°C (60-65°F) is

considered an ideal bedroom

temperature, according to

the National Sleep Founda-

tion. Over 24°C (71°F) is likely

to cause restlessness, while a

cold room about 12°C (53°F)

will make it hard to drop off.

Buy house plants: There

are several that can absorb nasty toxins,

such as peace lilies, aloe vera, Boston

ferns and spider plants, says Claire

Bishop, houseplant buyer at Dobbies

Garden Centres. “Snake plants are great

as they produce a lot of oxygen giving

you a better night’s sleep.”

Kitchen

Open up: Keep windows flung wide

• and the back door if possible – and
  use the extractor fan when cooking,
  suggests Tim. A damp environment
  raises the risk of night-time breathing
  difficulties by 90% and chronic bron-
  chitis by 67%, a recent Swedish study
  reveals. It also puts you at significantly
  higher risk of asthma and allergies. 
  Adjust your toaster: The Foods
  Standards Agency says burnt toast
  produces toxic chemical acrylamide,
  which may be linked to cancer. Only
  toast bread to a golden shade.
  Read the label: Many everyday
  cleaning products contain volatile
  organic compounds (VOCs), which may
  irritate the throat and lungs when they
  evaporate, especially sprays. Look for
  “allergy-friendly” products which have
  lower levels of VOCs and tend to be
  fragrance-free.
  Keep your oven clean by regularly
  putting a heat-resistant bowl of water

in it for 20 minutes at a high tempera-

ture to loosen grease. Open windows

while cleaning the kitchen to improve

ventilation. It means you won’t have to

resort to harsh oven cleaners.

Upgrade your pans: Research

shows 37% of us cook with blistered,

peeling or scratched non-stick pans that

may lead to toxic chemicals released

from the coatings. Ceramic cookware

offers a good alternative as it can be

heated to 450C without blistering or

releasing harmful toxins.

Bathroom

Skip the sog: Bacteria, mould and

dust mites love bath mats and shower

curtains. Dry yourself in the shower

rather than dripping on the mat. Regu-

larly wash shower curtains.

Sharing isn’t caring: Give each

family member their own towel – and

wash at high temperatures to kill germs.

“Staphylococcus, carried on our skin’s

surface, is harmful if it gets into a

wound or cut, when it can trigger infec-

tions,” explains Dr Ackerley.

It’s all in the head: Don’t forget the

shower head when cleaning your bath-

room. American scientists found they

contain high levels of the bacteria

mycobacterium avium which can cause

lung infections.

Cabinet clear-out: Don’t store

medicines or make-up in the bathroom.

The heat and humidity cause deteriora-

tion and moisture can spur bacteria

growth.

Totally fuming: Certain products

which are safe when used alone can

sometimes cause harmful fumes or

other chemical reactions when mixed

with other products. The key example

dog-gone Banish pets from bedroom is bleach and toilet cleaner.

‘‘Air freshener

over-exposure

can cause

respiratory

problems and

lung damage

The effects of indoor

pollution are estimated

to cause up to 40,000

early deaths in Britain

every year. Michele

O’Connor reveals how

you can spring clean

your way to better

health

Clean up

your act

(and

boost

your

health)

■■MARTIN BAGOT is the

Mirror’s Health & Science Editor

Martin Bagot’s

HEALTH

NOTES

Thousands of cases of bowel

cancer in Britain each year are

linked to a common bacteria

found in the gut.

Scientists analysed tumour

cells and concluded that the

toxin released by a strain of

E. coli could be a factor in

more than 2,000 UK diagnoses

every year.

The toxin was found to cause

DNA damage to the cells lining

the digestive tract.

This was also seen in bowel

cancer tumours in British and

Dutch patients in research

published in the journal Nature.

Hans Clevers, of the

Hubrecht Institute in the

Netherlands, who led the

study, said: “This is the first

time we’ve seen such a

distinctive pattern of DNA

damage in bowel cancer which

has been caused by a

bacterium that lives in our

gut.”

The bacteria was linked

to one in 20 cases of bowel

cancer. There are about 42,000

new bowel cancer cases in

Britain every year and it is the

second biggest cancer killer.

■■A drug used to treat Type 2

diabetes increases the risk of

heart failure, a study found.

The danger of rosiglitazone

was only revealed after its

manufacturer GlaxoSmith-

Kline (GSK) agreed to release

full trial

patient data.

Most

studies which

medics base

decisions on

whether to

use certain

drugs are

based only on

the summary data.

Academics writing in the

BMJ have demanded that

drugs firms routinely publish

full individual patient level

data (IPD). They reviewed

more than 130 trials involving

over 48,000 people.

Study author Joshua

Wallach, of Yale University in

the US, said: “Our study

suggests that when

evaluating drug safety, IPD

might be necessary to

accurately classify all adverse

events.”