Imagine that you bring a polluting object into your home. You show it to your children and family. Place it in the centre of the dining room, to make it more visible.
Then, this object is integrated into the interior and becomes part of your home — slowly poisoning you and your family.
What nonsense! This can’t happen! Who in their right mind would bring home a toxic object to harm their health?
Well, this is exactly what happens with all kinds of epoxy tables and other elaborations that have recently become fashionable pieces in the interiors of our homes.
How is this possible? Let’s check it out
To begin with: epoxy resins are chemical substances that, in contact with a hardener, form a transparent plastic.
Their use is quite common. They are included in different paints and protect different surfaces. They are also used to make some furniture.
The process is as follows. A mould is created. It can contain inlays, coloured objects, and so on. All this is filled with liquid epoxy resin to form a colourful and original piece.
So, what’s the problem?
The problem, my friends, is in its composition.
The main components of epoxy resins are Bisphenol A and Epichlorohydrin
Epichlorohydrin is a chemical compound that, at room temperature, is released into the atmosphere and becomes part of the air we breathe. Because of their small size, these molecules evade the body’s defences and filters. They enter the respiratory tract and from there directly into the blood. In other words, a Volatile Organic Compound — the famous VOC.
These substances are very harmful to health
They can cause irritability of the nasal mucosa, inflammation of the respiratory tract, headaches, allergies, asthma, bronchitis, and the list goes on.
The second component of epoxy resins is also no better.
Bisphenol A is released into the atmosphere, deposited on surfaces, and becomes part of the household dust we breathe. This is called a Semi-Volatile Organic Compound (SVOC).
Bisphenol A has become quite popular recently and is used in many places. It is part of various plastics, dyes, flame-retardant materials, packaging, and even pizza boxes and containers.
Bisphenol A is what is called an endocrine disruptor
That is, a substance that acts as a pseudo-hormone. It replaces some hormones and alters the hormonal balance in the body.
Endocrine disruptors are not limited to acting on the hormonal system. They can affect brain connections, the nervous and immune systems, and more.
This can lead to a variety of diseases, ranging from metabolic disorders to reproductive function disorders, and contributes to the occurrence of diseases caused by hormonal imbalance.
Animal experiments with bisphenol A have shown that even a small dose of exposure can lead to the development of breast cancer, diabetes, fertility problems, neurological disorders and much more.
These substances are especially harmful to women and children
Among other things, this is because an average four-year-old child breathes 25 times per minute, while an adult breathes about 15.
In other words, children breathe more, exchange oxygen more frequently, and get more waste into their blood.
And we must also understand that children are in the process of development. Many processes in them are determined by hormone levels and, if these are altered, various developmental defects can occur. I don’t want to sound sensationalist, but that’s the way it is.
So friends: from all that has been said, be careful what you bring into your home. Beware of trinkets and other temptations — and take care of your health.
