UNDERSTANDING ALLERGY: SENSITIVITY TO PLASTICS AND SYNTHETICS
In 1957, a House of Tomorrow was opened at Disneyland. The place was furnished from top to bottom in plastics.
That futuristic vision is now reality. Plastic and synthetic furnishings and building materials are rampant. So are plastic clothing and accessories – under the guise of words such as polyester, vinyl, Styrofoam, acetate and so on. Certainly, they’re cheap and they last forever. But the problem for chemically sensitive people is that plastics, like formaldehyde, tend to ‘outgas’ – dispersing tiny molecules of whatever they’re made of into the air, especially when they’re heated. If you’re surrounded by a lot of synthetic material – such as carpeting, clothing and furniture – you can eventually be overwhelmed by the insidious buildup of fumes, and not even know what’s happening until you start to feel ill.
But there are simple ways to get round the problem – starting from the floor up.
‘Next to getting rid of gas heat and gas-powered appliances, avoiding use of synthetic carpets and sponge rubber is the most important thing you can do to relieve chemical allergy,’ says Dr Randolph. Next to go would be vinyl upholstery, tablecloths, curtains and polyester clothing.
As it happens, many people – and manufacturers – are returning to natural building materials and furnishings: brick, wood, stone, clay, ceramic tile, terrazzo, quarry tile, stoneware, earthenware, terracotta, hemp, wicker, burlap, wool and cotton rugs, metals such as brass, copper and iron – all of which don’t outgas. And all-natural fibres such as cotton, linen, silk and wool are once again giving polyester a run for the money.
As you shop, scout around for non-plastic versions of whatever you need. If you must occasionally buy plastic, avoid new items. Outgassing tends to diminish after about two years, especially for hard plastics. Soft plastics, on the other hand, tend to outgas indefinitely. The harder the plastic, the safer you are.
‘By all means, buy used wooden furniture rather than new synthetic material when you’re trying to create a chemically clean room at home,’ says Dr McGovern.
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