Do hidden dangers lurk in your office workspace? - AmericaNowNews.com

Hidden dangers lurking at your desk

  • Do hidden dangers lurk in your office workspace?

  • Hundreds of house fires are started by home office equipment each year - and these fires are linked to more than 20 million dollars in direct property damage!
    Hundreds of house fires are started by home office equipment each year - and these fires are linked to more than 20 million dollars in direct property damage! America Now finds out how to protect your home and possibly save your life.
  • During a hectic day on the job, do you lunch over spreadsheets or munch while emailing? You're not alone – eating at your work space has become a habit for many. But despite its convenience, desktop dining
    During a hectic day on the job, do you lunch over spreadsheets or munch while emailing? You're not alone – eating at your work space has become a habit for many, but you might me doing a disservice to yourself.
  • Did you know men have more bacteria in their workspace than women?
    Did you know men have more bacteria in their workspace than women? Researchers at San Diego State University and the University of Arizona swabbed dozens of offices and discovered the surfaces in men's offices had 10 to 20 percent more germs than their female counterparts.

A seemingly harmless substance is now causing harmful health issues in the American office and workplace.  Dust.  A recent EPA study has found that dust can be laced with a dangerous flame retardant chemical referred to as PBDEs.  While flame retardants can save lives and property, numerous epidemiologic studies have linked exposure to PBDEs to serious heath risks.

Prior to 2005 PBDE compounds were used in the fabrication of items such as furniture foam, carpet pads and electronics - all of which are found in your common office space.  Here's the down side - continuous exposure to PBDEs has been linked to impaired fertility in both women and men.

Although PBDEs are no longer used to make new goods, items bought before 2005 are likely to contain them.  Here's the up side - you can decrease your risk to these substances by washing your hands regularly, and whenever possible stay away from products containing PBDEs.

In addition to PBDE traces found in the workplace there is often concern for what shows up in your home.  Are your children exposed to this dangerous elemental threat as well?  Chances are, yes.

Here is what the US Environmental Health Agency (EPA) is doing about PBDEs,

EPA is engaged in the Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP), working with chemical manufacturers to provide data to enable the public to understand the potential health risks to children associated with certain chemical exposures. Through VCCEP, industry-sponsored risk assessments for pentaBDE, octaBDE and decaBDE were developed to evaluate the potential risks to children and prospective parents from potential exposure scenarios. In September 2005, EPA released its Data Needs Decision documents on PBDEs. EPA has requested manufacturers to provide the needed data by volunteering to conduct fate and transport tests with decaBDE and 2-generation reproductive toxicity tests with pentaBDE and octaBDE.

Copyright 2011 America Now.  All rights reserved.

  • Most Popular StoriesMost Popular Stories

  • Dust, a seemingly harmless substance can cause harmful health issues in the office or workplace.
    Dust, a seemingly harmless substance can cause harmful health issues in the office or workplace.
  • SOURCE: Thinkstock
    About 12 Americans die every year from venomous snake bites. But hundreds more are bitten and survive only because they receive life-saving antivenin in the nick of time.
    Flooding can bring snakes to the surface of your yard, but this one is especially dangerous! America Now Expert Jules Sylvester shows how you can spot it, and what to do if you get bitten.
  • A recent investigation revealed telemarketers and direct-mail companies sometimes receive 90 percent or more of the money people donate to charities.
    A recent investigation revealed telemarketers and direct-mail companies sometimes receive 90 percent or more of the money people donate to charities. The non-profit organizations end up with just pennies on the dollar raised through solicitation campaigns, and it's all legal. 
Powered by WorldNow
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and America Now. All Rights Reserved.
For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.