Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/h0lSb9JaTLA   Cleaning products and disinfectants can increase your risk of developing handicapping chronic obstructive lung disease, COPD, by up to 38%.  Harvard and NIH researchers followed more than 73,000 US nurses occupationally exposed to such toxic chemicals over a 6 year period.   The nurses were using chemicals including bleach, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, ammonia, and glutaraldehyde to clean both surfaces and medical instruments.  A history of smoking or asthma did not impact the recorded risks.   COPD is the 3td leading cause of death worldwide, and up to 20% of cases are linked to occupational toxins.  You probably use many products that crippled these nurses at home.  When you do, limit your exposure and ventilate well.   Orianne Dumas, PhD1,2; Raphaëlle Varraso, PhD1,2; Krislyn M. Boggs, MPH3,4; et al.  Association of Occupational Exposure to Disinfectants With Incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among US Female Nurses.  JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(10):e19