While watching Game 4 of the NBA Finals this evening I accidentally saw a commercial for thee local news here in Seattle. I generally try and avoid local news like the plague–its like cable news but with a lower budget. Anyhow, the commercial warned any and all that were listening that we had to stay tuned in order to learn about how an “everyday item that millions of people have may be killing you.” This everyday item was… wait for it… your vinyl shower curtain. Now I generally discount all scare stories that the news offers up, but the warning was so grandiose and the object to be feared so ridiculous, that I had to look it up. Heres what I found (emphasis mine)
Could your shower curtain be harming your health?
An environmental group claims in a new study of vinyl shower curtains that some of them may release into the air toxic chemicals which could cause asthma, eye irritation or even cancer.
“We have a clear-cut case that these products release elevated levels of harmful chemicals,” said report co-author Mike Schade, PVC campaign coordinator for the Center for Health, Environment and Justice. “Our research builds on a growing body of evidence that shows that the government fails to protect us from the growing number of toxic chemicals in products.”
But some health experts are paying scant attention to those behind the curtain study. And perhaps with good reason.
Skeptics pointed out what they call a glaring error in the study’s methodology. The group tested a total of five shower curtains, of which only one shower curtain — not one brand; one curtain — was subjected to complete testing for chemicals in its composition, as well as those it released into the air — a phenomenon known as “off-gassing.”
Further testing was not performed “to avoid potential instrument damage,” according to the report.
The study found the one curtain which was tested for off-gassing may have released, over the course of the first few hours after it was opened, chemicals that could be toxic if swallowed or inhaled only in quantities thousands of times greater than those found.
Critics said that the testing was not verified by an independent lab and didn’t account for real-world conditions such as temperature or humidity in a shower stall.
The study also included estimated results for some of the chemical amounts it reported, and most of the off-gassed chemicals found initially were not detectable after a few days.
In short, it is a piece of shower curtain research that some experts said just doesn’t hold water.
They tested FIVE CURTAINS? Thats it?! Not only that but only one was fully tested and it emmitted for a short times toxic gasses that are 1/1000 of the toxic dose? While the rest of the article continues to backtrack and talk slightly more rationally, if you acknowledge these facts in your article, then how in the world can you lead with “Could your shower curtain be harming your health?”?! Furthermore, lets not understate the case, the last line should read “it is a piece of shower curtain research that any and all scientists that have the right to use the title said just doesn’t hold water.”
Jesus, I need to just watch the news for 30 seconds to remind myself why I don’t make a habit of it. I take solace in hoping that everyone involved in this scare mongering really believes what they said and is trying to figure out how to get by without a plastic shower curtain.
