Toxic Shower Curtain
One of the most exciting things I have done during this five-day break was put up a new Isaac Mizrahi shower curtain. There’s something wrong with it–it has this plastic smell so strong that it would shock even the most hardened glue sniffer. The smell has been permeating my apartment for hours, even with all of the windows open. Meanwhile, I feel dizzy yet full of energy. Can’t quite seem to figure out why.
P.S. Thanks to R. for that great header photo I am using.
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that smell is from toxic plastic. known to cause cancer and birth defects. enjoy!
I recently purchased shower curtains that stank more than usual - so much so, that I had to throw them out. The next set, that I purchased at at another store & that I hung last night, also stink more than usual. Both sets were made in China, the country that brought us our current pet poisoning problem. So why should they be concerned about shower curtains? Sorry, Taipei kid, just pointing out a trend - seems more people are being affected by the stronger odors now than before - like me! Do a search online, and you will see many people flipping out over the stronger smell.
I did a search today on shower curtains, hoping to find something less smelly. I found many people who couldn’t tolerate the smell. I also came across this article on shower curtains, PVCs, etc. GROSS, is all I can say! Who knew???
http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/about.htm
PVC - The Poison Plastic
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic, commonly referred to as vinyl, is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created. PVC is dangerous to human health and the environment throughout its entire life cycle, at the factory, in our homes, and in the trash. Our bodies are contaminated with poisonous chemicals released during the PVC lifecycle, such as mercury, dioxins, and phthalates, which may pose irreversible life-long health threats. When produced or burned, PVC plastic releases dioxins, a group of the most potent synthetic chemicals ever tested, which can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive systems.
New Car or Shower Curtain Smell? The Smell of PVC
PVC is useless without the addition of a plethora of toxic additives, which can make the PVC product itself harmful to consumers. These chemicals can evaporate or leach out of PVC, posing risks to children and consumers. New car smell? New shower curtain smell? That’s the smell of poisonous chemicals off-gassing from the PVC. One of the most common toxic additives is DEHP, a phthalate that is a suspected carcinogen and reproductive toxicant readily found in numerous PVC products. Children can be exposed to phthalates by chewing on vinyl toys. While it is still legal for US retailers to sell PVC children’s and baby toys containing dangerous phthalates, the European Parliament voted in July, 2005 to permanently ban the use of certain toxic phthalates in toys. One EPA study found that vinyl shower curtains can cause elevated levels of dangerous air toxins, which can persist for more than a month….
You can read more at the link if you like. Take care!
I’m searching for alternatives - so far, haven’t found much out there.