Birmingham: A study has found that plastics used in furniture, electrical appliances and homes to prevent heat build-up contain chemicals that can be easily absorbed into human skin.
Scientists at the University of Birmingham have found that toxic chemicals used in the manufacture of laptops, highchairs and smartphones that cannot catch fire can easily penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream.
These compounds, which are used in many household products, may interfere with thyroid function, mental development, motor ability and ovarian function, as well as increasing cancer risks.
Researchers had known about these chemicals that these compounds can enter the human body through food and water, but this is the first time it has been seen that these chemicals can be absorbed through the skin.
Some of these chemicals are banned in the UK, the European Union and 13 US states including Maine, Hawaii, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Maryland and New York.
Chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) introduced in the 1970s were thought to protect people, but the compounds have come with unintended consequences.
The new study looked at whether these toxic chemicals can penetrate the skin.