Researchers at Harvard University and the French National Institue of Health and Medical Research have found that regular use of bleach and other disinfectants may increase your chances of developing fatal lung disease.
Research shows that people who used harsh cleaning products such as bleach, once a week, had up to a 32% increased chance of developing fatal lung disease. Researchers looked at more than 55,000 nurses in the U.S, because they use disinfectants to clean on a regular basis. Of the 55,000 nurses, 37% use disinfectants to clean surfaces on a weekly basis, and 19% used them to clean medical instruments weekly.
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Fatal lung disease, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is present in 1.2 million people in the U.K and kills 25,000 people a year in the U.K.
To the best of our knowledge we are the first to report a link between disinfectants and COPD among healthcare workers, and to investigate specific chemicals that may underlie this association…Some of these disinfectants, such as bleach and quats, are frequently used in ordinary households, and the potential impact of domestic use of disinfectants on COPD development is unknown…Earlier studies have found a link between asthma and exposure to cleaning products and disinfectants at home, such as bleach and sprays, so it is important to investigate this further
Study: Weekly Use of Disinfectants Greatly Increases Your Risk of Fatal Lung Disease