Antiperspirants Could Contribute to Particulate Pollution 70
MTorrice writes: Environmental scientists monitor particulate matter pollution because it poses risks to human health and can affect the climate. Ultrafine particles, up to 100 nm in diameter, are produced by vehicle exhaust and other combustion processes. They also form when volatile chemicals from other sources condense in the atmosphere, often through reactions triggered by sunlight.
Now atmospheric scientists propose that personal care products, such as antiperspirants, could be a potential source of ultrafine particulate matter. On the basis of data from the U.S. and Finland, they find that airborne nanoparticles in highly populated areas often contain silicon. They hypothesize that organic silicon compounds found in cosmetics waft into the air, get oxidized, and contribute to the growth of nanoparticles.
Now atmospheric scientists propose that personal care products, such as antiperspirants, could be a potential source of ultrafine particulate matter. On the basis of data from the U.S. and Finland, they find that airborne nanoparticles in highly populated areas often contain silicon. They hypothesize that organic silicon compounds found in cosmetics waft into the air, get oxidized, and contribute to the growth of nanoparticles.
Heh (Score:5, Funny)
Not using antiperspirants ain't so good for the air either.
Re:Heh (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
Great, our communes already smell like a landfill because the greenies make us recycle, and now we all get to smell like they do.
Having once moved from a suburban environment to a ranch environment (horses, cows, etc) I can tell you the odor only bothers you for about three days. After that you still recognized the odors they just no longer have an effect. It seems a persistent ability. Many years after moving back to suburbia I drove near some dairies. While other passengers were nearly gagging I experienced nothing more than the thought "huh, cows".
Re: (Score:2)
In other words, you get used to it - but you can never go out in public again.
Re: (Score:3)
No, this has nothing to do with deodorants. This is about antiperspirants, and in particular certain types of spray on ones which are not very good for your skin either.
In Japan you can buy clothing that deals with this problem. If your country is lucky enough to have Uniqlo shops you can try it out yourself. The material is anti-bacterial and deodorising. At the end of the day you can take it off and it sniff the arm pits, and they don't smell too bad. It also has fast drying features which act as a combin
Re: (Score:2)
In Japan you can buy clothing that deals with this problem. If your country is lucky enough to have Uniqlo shops you can try it out yourself. The material is anti-bacterial and deodorising.
Do these use silver nanoparticles like some antibacterial socks do? Yeah, there's some concern that those might leak into the environment [duke.edu] where their anti-microbial action isn't likely to be such a great idea.
(Personally, I'm well convinced that relatively untested nanoparticles getting into the environment is going to be a big issue in the next 20 to 30 years... this will be *after* we've been using them for a long time, and they're well established in the ecosystem and food chain. The only question is w
Re: (Score:2)
It's not silver nanoparticles, it's some kind of synthetic fibre material.
Holy fuck (Score:2, Informative)
Will these wackos ever stop finding shit that is supposedly screwing everything up? If we all lived in faces they'd bitch about the fact the fucking cave dwelling animals had no home because we kicked them out.
Human haters is what they are.
Re:Heh (Score:5, Informative)
Not using antiperspirants ain't so good for the air either.
I know you're being funny, but it's actually worth noting that there is a difference between deodorants and antiperspirants (and that term itself is usually short for antiperspirant + deodorant). As you can probably guess now that the terms have been separated, the latter are supposed to stop you from smelling, while the latter are supposed to prevent you from sweating in the first place. I switched from antiperspirants to deodorants a few years ago after I became concerned that maybe jamming aluminum salts up my pores to block sweat in wasn't such a good idea. Most people would probably be fine with just a deodorant, and I say that as someone who is fairly physically active myself.
That being said, I'm not sure why the article singled out antiperspirants. I'm pretty sure you can find the siloxanes (one of the categories proposed as responsible for the problem) in many deodorants as well, e.g., as decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, which is used to make the product smooth. Off the top of my head (without being in the deodorant aisle at the store right now) I'd guess that "natural" brands like Toms or KMF would be some of the few that probably don't contain these. The specificity in the article seems unnecessary--to say nothing about whether personal care products are a significant source when the chemicals in question can also be found in building material and things that might be a larger source.
Re: (Score:2)
The problem with your theory is precisely that deoderants don't help with sweat.
When you've got pit stains on all your shirts it doesn't really matter if you don't smell, people will still not want to be around you.
Re: (Score:2)
The problem with your theory is precisely that deoderants don't help with sweat.
When you've got pit stains on all your shirts it doesn't really matter if you don't smell, people will still not want to be around you.
Most pit stains are actually caused by the antiperspirant. With deodorants, you will sweat more, but not have the yellowing stains caused by oxidized antiperspirants.
Re: (Score:2)
I am not talking about the permanent stains, I am talking about the damp sweat stains daily, the ones which, as you just said, will be rampant since you will sweat more.
Re: (Score:2)
wrong crowd (Score:5, Funny)
Your OWN air quality (Score:4, Insightful)
I gave up spray deodorant and switched to stick years ago, simply because I didn't want to be inhaling aluminum chlorohydrate and other goodies. That it isn't good for the environment is secondary to that.
Re:Your OWN air quality (Score:4, Insightful)
This does not seem to have anything to do with method of application. The stuff evaporates off your skin into the air.
Re: (Score:2)
Better than ME evaporating off into the air!
I don't think particulate contaminants evaporate. (Score:5, Funny)
Remember: if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
Re: (Score:2)
Have you read the article?
I know... stupid question.
The hypothesis is that evaporated siloxanes photo-oxidize (in the presence of hydroxyl radicals), then condense onto nanoparticles (that have been separately created by different sources), causing them to grow into the size range that's harmful for humans.
No, I didn't read the article. (Score:3)
Re:I don't think particulate contaminants evaporat (Score:4, Funny)
Slow down, I'm trying to take notes.
Re: (Score:2)
First it evaporates. It photo-oxidizes once's its freely floating in the air.
Re: (Score:3)
Man, aluminum chlorohydrate is a hell of a buzz. But you have to be careful because it makes you think you can stop cars with your bare hands.
Re: (Score:2)
You're supposed to spray the deodorant on to your body, you're not supposed to inhale it
Building materials? (Score:4, Interesting)
This stuff is also heavily used in building materials -- sealants that keep water from soaking into concrete, for instance. I'd be curious to see why they dismiss such building materials as a source, focusing only on personal-care products. It's possible that there is simply so much more used in personal care products. But the one link that isn't slashdotted doesn't explain why the focus on personal-care products.
I use deoderant. (Score:3)
Alum Crystal (Score:3)
I switch to alum crystal type deoderant years ago.
http://www.bodycrystal.com.au/... [bodycrystal.com.au]
They work well and last about 2 years per stick.
Re: (Score:3)
Another minor benefit of the crystal stick -- impossible to identify as a 'paste' in your carry-on luggage.
Re: (Score:1)
Because we're not all fat and sweaty like definitely every American.
Re: (Score:1, Troll)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
I was being ironic.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
If they ever figure out how to turn cellulite into energy
Easy. You cook the fat off and collect it for fuel. It's called Mississippi.
Couldn't possibly be roads? (Score:3)
You know what also contains silicon? The material in roads. Cars drive over this material, breaking it up and wearing it down. Perhaps not all of it winds in topsoil and the water system?
Re: (Score:2)
Silicon doesn't evaporate at much below 2700 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a silicon compound.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm well aware that we're discussing silicon compounds. I didn't claim that silicon was being vaporized by tire friction; that's silly. However, is it possible that silicon compounds in the road surface that get pulverized finely enough might then become "aerosolized" and disperse in the atmosphere? That is the question I posed.
Re: (Score:2)
I know you are trying to be funny, but human beings breathing does not contribute to global warming. This is because the CO2 produced is from combining O2 with biologic sources, which are produced by systems that remove the same or more CO2 from the air.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, the real problem is the methane we produce.
Daffy Duck headline (Score:3)
It needs a slight rewrite, but imagine the headline being read by Daffy Duck:
Antiperspirants Perhaps Partly Partake in Prolonging Particulate Pollution
Mowed grass (Score:2)
Grasses accumulate silicates in their leaves. That's a more likely source of airborne particulates than a few armpits.
AXE Body Spray Users (Score:2)
And the idea that there are no natural sources ? (Score:2)
Fine particles are also made by natural events - wind erosion - wave erosion - water freezing - form long before man walked on earth. Why is everything man does seen with 'brown-colored-glasses?
"could be a potential source."
This sure sounds like grant seeking behavior rather than science.
This study is irrelevant (Score:2)
The world can burn if it comes down to a choice between that and my antiperspirant.
And, yes, I'm aware of the distinction between an antiperspirant and wholly inadequate deodorant-only.
Who uses them? (Score:1)
Deodorant sure, antiperspirants? Never.
Consider your health when you smear that chemical crap, then consider a diet change.
Re: (Score:2)
Indeed, probably not wise to stop the body from perspiration. For wanting deodorizing without artificial chemical, quite a few natural deordorants out there. Very effective one available is big chunk of rock salt with minerals, kills the bacteria that make odor.
Euphemisms? (Score:2)
I'm forced to wonder if "environmental scientist" is now a euphemism for "60s flower child."