""Even a small reduction in lung function may indicate some harm to the lungs," said NIEHS researcher Stephanie London, M.D., lead investigator on the study. "The best way to protect yourself, especially children who may have asthma or other respiratory illnesses, is to reduce the use of products and materials that contain these compounds."
NIEHS researcher Stephanie London, M.D., a specialist in genetic epidemiology, was lead investigator on the 1,4 DCB study. (Photo courtesy NIEHS)
Volatile organic compounds, VOCs, are compounds emitted as gases from thousands of commonly used products, including tobacco smoke, pesticides, paints, and cleaning products. VOCs are also released in automotive exhaust.
This particular VOC, 1,4 DCB, is a white solid compound with a distinctive aroma, similar to mothballs. It is typically used as a space deodorant in products such as room deodorizers, urinal and toilet bowl blocks, and as an insecticide fumigant for moth control.
The researchers examined the relationship between blood concentrations of 11 common volatile organic compounds and lung function measures in a representative sample of 953 adults 20 to 59 years old. Four measures of lung function were used in the analyses.
They found that of the common VOCs analyzed, including benzene, styrene, toluene, and acetone, only the compound 1,4 DCB was associated with reduced lung function.
This effect was seen even after careful adjustment for smoking.
The researchers found that 96 percent of the population sampled had detectable 1,4 DCB blood concentration levels. African Americans had the highest exposure levels and non-Hispanic whites the lowest. "