Has Your Shower Curtain Turned Your Shower into a Toxic Bath?

Imagine submerging yourself into a chemical laden pool filled with carcinogens. Doesn't sound very appealing do it? Now imagine doing this day after day, week after week, month after month, year end and year out. I can hear you shouting, what fool would do something like that? You are right; no person in their right mind would indulge in such a ritual, unless they had a death wish. Unfortunately, according to some scientist a number of us practice this ritual. Unknowingly we participate, however, participate we still do.

According to the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, your morning shower is that chemical laden, carcinogen filled, toxic bath. This Virginia based environmental advocacy group preformed test on five different vinyl shower curtains and found them all to contain phthalates. Phthalates is the chemical used in plastic manufacturing to soften plastics, making them pliable and easy to form into the countless products we use daily to make our lives easier.

Phthalates can affect your body's hormone level in a negative fashion. Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and Environment at the University of New York at Albany, says humans should avoid contact with phthalates whenever possible. A number of other scientist have come out in opposition to this statement, arguing the phthalates exposure in vinyl shower curtains is minimal and does not present any serious threat. Dr. Carpenter's panel disagrees and concur that repeated exposure can be dangerous to your and your family's health.

There is on going concerns regarding the different chemicals used in plastic manufacturing. Many of them have been proven to leech harmful substances out of the final products which they are formulated into, out into our environment. Bisphenol A (BPA), another chemical used in plastics manufacturing and found in over 70% of all consumer products sold around the world, was discovered to leech chemicals into baby's milk through plastic baby bottles. Countries around the world have banned baby bottles and other plastic drinking containers made with BPA plastics for this reason. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration have confirmed BPA does leech from plastics, but report that the amount is non-lethal.

Do you wait for a governmental panel to determine if the chemical contamination you are exposed to is lethal or non lethal? Since we are all different, what is non lethal for one individual may be extreme lethal for another. It is no doubt that vinyl shower curtains do leech something into the environment. Just remember your reactions when you first removed them from the package when you first purchase them. The smell generally brings tears to your eyes.

Isn't it time you stepped out of chemical laden, carcinogen filled, toxic pool, you have been bathing in? It is not difficult. Just switch to shower curtains made of nylon or cotton, and begin taking a safer shower.

Resource: Curtain Call, Men's Health Magazine, October, 2008