Mmm, That New Shower Curtain Smell…IS TOXIC!

Ever buy a new vinyl shower curtain, crack it open and install it and your bathroom reeks for days of a plastic, chemical smell? It’s typical. There is a new study on these possibly toxic curtains. MSN.Com Health published a short article on it. Here are a few excerpts of the article

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shower curtains and liners release into the air 108 toxic chemicals that can affect the lungs, central nervous system, liver and kidney, according to a study by the Virginia-based Center for Health, Environment and Justice. It wants the federal government to recall and ban all PVC shower curtains and liners.

 

“The familiar ‘new curtain smell’ may be toxic to your health,” said Mike Schade, the center’s PVC campaign coordinator. “It’s really surprising that retailers are manufacturing products that contain and release harmful chemicals in our homes.”

But a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission dismissed the center’s demand for a recall and ban of the products. “There’s no justification whatsoever for the agency to take any kind of action,” Julie Vallese told the Daily News. “The claims being made about the dangers of shower curtains are phantasmagorical. It’s ridiculous.”

Consumers needn’t be worried, said a New York pediatrician who specializes in environmental exposure. Dr. Joel Forman, an associate professor of community and preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, recommended airing out a new plastic curtain for a week before hanging it in the shower.

I have never cared for the shower curtain myself. I always liked the sliding doors. They are a lot easier to clean, look better in my opinion and don’t give off toxic fumes.

For another take on this article see Kristina Chew’s Autism Vox