ISLAMABAD: Handwashing and cleaning your house frequently may protect you against unhealthy chemicals, finds a study.

The researchers at the Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health assessed whether house cleaning and handwashing can effectively lower exposure to flame retardants. Flame retardant chemicals have been added to furniture and electronics since the 1970s to comply with fire safety standards. Manufacturers use of new organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRS) to consumer products has increased since 2005. OPFRs have been linked to endocrine disruption, decreased fertility, and thyroid dysfunction in humans. In this study appear in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, researchers examined exposure to a commonly used OPFR, Tris (1,3-dichlorisopropyl) phosphate, known as Tris, and six other flame retardants.

To assess whether handwashing and house cleaning effectively reduced exposure, participants were randomly assigned to one of two interventions, house cleaning or handwashing, for the first week of the study. The house cleaning intervention group was given microfiber mops, vacuums, and microfiber cloths and asked to increase the amount they cleaned their home that week. The handwashing group was given hand soaps and asked to focus on washing their hands more than they typically do, especially before meals. During the second week of the study, all participants were asked to do both extra handwashing and housecleaning. Urine samples were collected from participants before the study began and following the first and second weeks of the intervention.