HEALTH CONDITIONS BRAIN & NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH
Common Household Chemicals Attack Critical
Brain Cells, Research Warns
Flame retardants and disinfectants harm brain cells, and children are highly vulnerable to the ubiquitous chemicals.
By George Citroner
4/8/2024 Updated: 4/8/2024
Could the products designed to protect us actually be undermining our brain health?
New research points to common household chemicals used as flame retardants and disinfectants as harmful culprits.
In a recent study, scientists tested thousands of potentially hazardous chemicals and found two specific types that harm brain cells, Paul Tesar, who holds a doctorate in developmental and stem
cell biology and is the study’s principal investigator, told The Epoch Times.
Millions Afflicted by Neurological
Disease With Causes Unknown
While neurological disorders affect millions—with that number growing—only a fraction of cases stem from genetic causes, suggesting environmental factors contribute to their rise.
To identify these risk factors, Mr. Tesar’s team focused on chemicals adversely affecting oligodendrocytes—crucial nerve cells that create the insulating myelin sheath around nerves in the brain and spinal cord, enabling proper signal transmission.
Analyzing the effects of over 1,800 chemicals on mouse oligodendrocyte development in cell cultures, researchers identified 292 that kill these cells and 49 that inhibit their growth.
A recent study published in Nature Neuroscience identified two harmful chemical groups: organophosphate flame retardants, used in dyes and plastics, and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), found in disinfectants. Flame retardants are commonly used in furniture, foam products, building materials, and electronics. QACs are used in surface cleaners, hand sanitizers, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and fabric softeners.
Everyday Items Exposing Kids to Brain-Damaging Chemicals
QACs, found in many personal care products and disinfectants whose usage surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and organophosphate flame retardants, present in electronics and furniture, pose potential risks.
“These chemicals can be found in products we use in our homes, where they have important roles,” Mr. Tesar said,“but we need to consider what levels of exposure are safe and what levels could be affecting brain health.”
Oligodendrocytes continue developing from the fetal stage into adulthood, making them susceptible to toxic chemical damage. The researchers linked exposure to a flame retardant metabolite—bis(1,3- dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP)—to poor neurological outcomes in children nationwide.
Analyzing data from 2013 to 2018, the team found BDCIPP in 1,753 of 1,763 urine samples from 3- to 11-year-olds. Compared to the lowest quartile, children with the highest urinary BDCIPP levels had double the odds of needing special education and six times the risk of gross motor dysfunction diagnosis.
Evidence Already Links
Chemicals to Multiple Sclerosis
Research from 2020 found a worldwide increase in multiple sclerosis cases since 2013. This chronic, debilitating disease causes myelin damage, leading to muscle weakness, vision issues, numbness, and memory problems. “Loss of oligodendrocytes underlies multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases,” Mr. Tesar said in a press release.
Evidence already links environmental toxins like lead and aluminum to multiple sclerosis. In 2023, scientists published an editorial article in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience arguing that exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollution, and pesticides could impair brain health, increasing the risk of cognitive decline and
neurodegenerative diseases.
Mr. Tesar’s team’s findings show specific chemicals in consumer products can directly harm myelin-producing cells, representing a previously unrecognized risk factor for neurological diseases. “However, more work needs to be done to evaluate exposure levels and duration before clear connections can be drawn between exposure and human disease,” he said.
More Work Needed to Establish Safe Levels of Necessary
Chemicals
Mr. Tesar said his research aims to better understand the potential effects of environmental chemicals on brain health.
“We rigorously tested these chemicals in the laboratory to show that, at specific levels, they can harm cells in the brain,” he explained. “Interestingly, we found that these chemicals do not target nerve cells, but other cells in the brain.”
Mr. Tesar said his study highlights that some chemicals in everyday household products may harm human health. However, he also cautioned that these findings don’t suggest that these chemicals should be removed from our environment or homes.
The study lays the groundwork for future work identifying hazardous exposure levels to better inform practices and policies, Mr. Tesar noted. It’s the beginning, not a call to eliminate these chemicals immediately, he added.
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George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.