They associate the development of brain diseases with two common chemicals in homes

MEXICO CITY (apro).- Recent research shows that chemicals present in a large number of household items damage specialized brain cells.

According to a team of researchers from the School of Medicine of the Universidad Case Western Reservechemicals found in a wide range of items from furniture to hair products, may be linked to neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis and autism spectrum disorders.

The study, published on March 25 in the journal “Nature Neuroscience”, discovered effects on the oligodendrocytes of the brain, specifically this type of specialized cell that generates protective insulation around nerve cells.

The researchers analyzed more than 1,800 chemicals – to which humans can be exposed – and identified chemicals that selectively damaged oligodendrocytes and belonged to two classes: organophosphate flame retardants and quaternary ammonium compounds.

A wide variety of electronic products and furniture include organophosphate flame retardants. Likewise, quaternary ammonium compounds are present in multiple personal care products and disinfectants, which have been used more frequently since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

“The loss of oligodendrocytes is the basis of multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases,” said the study’s principal investigator, Paul Tesar, director of the Institute of Glial Sciences at the School of Medicine. “We now show that specific chemicals in consumer products can directly damage oligodendrocytes, representing a previously unrecognized risk factor for neurological diseases,” he explained.

The researchers cautioned that human exposure to these specific substances and the effects on brain health requires more research, in order to track chemical levels in the brains of adults and children to determine the amount and duration of exposure necessary to cause or worsen an illness.