How to manage harmful substances in your life for your child

6 tips to avoid harmful substances in products in your daily life

 

 

It's not just movies, but we've been through the fear of chemicals in our lives, such as pesticide eggs, harmful sanitary napkins, radon beds, and so on, so we are not immune to 'chemical phobia'. So, how many chemicals are present in our daily lives, and how do they affect our health?

 

 

If you have no choice but to use chemicals, how can you use them safely? Dr. Cho Sung-moon, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Environmental Industry and Technology, an agency affiliated with the Ministry of Environment, and a father of a six-year-old child, published a book titled 'A Safe Home for My Child' on the 10th, which contains guidelines for minimizing the impact of harmful substances in the home. The book contains easy and simple lifestyle habits that can reduce the harmfulness of products and exposure to harmful substances.

 

First, don't buy canned food with a convex lid.

When the food spoils, the gases expand, causing the lid to bulge. You should buy canned food that doesn't have a convex lid.

 

In addition, if canned food is stored once the lid is opened, the canned food itself can rust quickly and the food can become contaminated with metal. Therefore, it is best to eat it all when it is opened, and if there is any food left after use, it should be transferred to another bowl and refrigerated.

  

 

Second, install it so that the user's face does not face the direction of heat from the computer and printer.

In the process of using home appliances such as computers and printers, harmful substances such as brominated flame retardants and ozone can be released in the form of vapor through the part that dissipates heat. As much as possible, try not to touch this area with your hands, especially the part that dissipates the heat, so that it is not directed towards your face.

 

In addition, if computers and printers are installed in an enclosed space such as a children's room, it is advisable to open the windows to ventilate the room during or after use.

 

Third, don't mix the cleaner with other cleaners.

When mixing detergents with each other, it is important to be careful because there is a possibility of harmful substances that are fatal to the human body as by-products. In particular, you should never use an acidic bathroom cleaner with a chlorine bleach because the chemical reaction produces chlorine gas, which is deadly to the human body.

 

Also, when cleaning the bathroom, you should open the door or turn on the fan to allow air to circulate, and if you have a cough or dizziness, get some fresh air immediately.

 

Fourth, if you buy a play or exercise mat, be sure to dry it in the sun before using it.

Since the surface material of the play mat is synthetic resin, a lot of harmful substances such as formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds can be released in the early stages. It is advisable to wipe the surface of the product with a damp cloth and dry it in the sun on the veranda for at least 1 day before use.

 

Fifth, you should not use toys that have peeled off the paint and throw them away.

Even if the paint comes off, you're likely to think it's not a big deal unless it's a cosmetic problem. However, paint mainly contains lead, and if a piece of paint that has been peeled off through inhalation or oral ingestion enters the body, there is a risk that heavy metals such as lead will be absorbed into the human body.

 

Toys that have peeled paint should be thrown away immediately, and toys that have been stored with them should also be cleaned to ensure that there is no paint powder left behind. Above all, it is advisable to avoid using shiny or shiny toys as much as possible, as they can easily expose heavy metals when peeled off.

Sixth, buy clothes that can be washed by hand rather than dry-cleaned.

Dry cleaning products can remove contaminants from clothes, but the toxicity of the organic solvents used in washing remains, so you need to be careful. In particular, it is recommended to dress children in clothes that can be washed by hand rather than dry cleaning products, and pregnant women should also refrain from wearing dry cleaning products or entering the laundry, as this can have a harmful effect on the fetus.

 

In addition, wearing dry-cleaned clothes right away is not good because it releases the remaining chemicals on the clothes and can be absorbed by the human body through breathing or skin contact. When you pick up a dry-cleaned garment, remove the plastic wrap and leave it outside for at least one hour to allow enough volatile substances to escape. Especially in summer, you should avoid storing dry-cleaned clothes in an enclosed car.

Dr. Cho says, "Harmful substances in products can have different effects on different people depending on their physical condition, age, and degree of exposure, so it is impossible to say how much exposure is bad." However, he said, "In terms of prevention, it is preferable to be exposed to as little harmful substances as possible," adding, "We should try to reduce the exposure to harmful substances one by one, starting with the products that we are most interested in or worried about."