The presence of endocrine chemical disruptors in indoor air can lead to the development of asthma, respiratory symptoms and obesity in children. The results are part of a study by researchers at the Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto Porto (ISPUP), which evaluated the air quality of 20 primary schools in the city of Porto.
Endocrine chemical disruptors are substances that cause changes in the individual’s endocrine (hormonal) system and can be found in products commonly used in domestic applications, such as floor coverings, furniture and paint, among others.
Due to the changes they cause in the body, the study of the effect of these deregulators on human health is an important public health issue.
The childhood period is a critical time for the study of the impact of endocrine chemical disruptors on health, since the changes registered during this age may extend into adult life. Moreover, considering the time they spend indoors – places where there is a higher concentration of these substances due to a lack of ventilation – children are a susceptible group.
Taking this framework into account, the researchers analyzed the indoor air quality of 71 classrooms of 20 primary schools in the Municipality of Porto.
“We wanted to analyze the impact of endocrine chemical disruptors on the development of asthma, respiratory symptoms in the last 3 months and obesity in children aged 7 to 12 years exposed to these substances in classrooms”, says Inês Paciência, a researcher at ISPUP and the first author of the study, supervised by André Moreira, also an ISPUP researcher.
The study involved 845 children, who attended the 3rd and 4th grades. The participants were submitted to spirometry evaluations with bronchodilation and to an anthropometric evaluation (measurement of body dimensions), and also answered a questionnaire related to respiratory symptoms.
“We concluded that the indoor air of the schools analyzed had low concentrations of endocrine chemical disruptors. However, even reduced concentrations already have a negative effect on children’s health, enhancing the development of asthma, respiratory symptoms and obesity“, explains Inês Paciência.
According to the researcher, “the World Health Organization defines a threshold from which exposure to certain concentrations of endocrine chemical disruptors is harmful to health. However, what this paper shows is that exposure to concentrations below this threshold is already risky”.
What can schools then do to lessen children’s exposure to these substances? “One of the measures is to increase the natural ventilation, opening windows and doors, so that the air circulates. Another issue that must be considered is the choice of materials that are placed inside the rooms, such as furniture (mainly plastic), the type of flooring and the paints used on the walls. These choices should be made by a team of people from different areas who select healthy materials for the children”, she adds.
With the results of this study, which highlighted the negative effects of endocrine chemical disruptors on health, researchers hope that measures will be implemented to minimize exposure to these substances and that there is an investment in promoting a healthier indoor environment in schools.
The research, published in the journal “Allergy”, is entitled Exposure to indoor endocrine disrupting chemicals and childhood asthma and obesity.
Imagem: Pixabay/coyot
