The authors of a new study question the safety of some chemicals used in
Commercial dishwashers are ratedfor maximum efficiency: washing and rinsing dishes in two quick cycles lasting a couple of minutes using a minimum amount of water. The authors of a new study determined exactly how many chemicals remain on dishes after dishwashers finish a cycle, and what effect detergents have on human intestinal tissue.
“We are concerned that many devices do notan additional rinse cycle to remove detergent residue,” said Cezmi Akdis, study leader and director of the Swiss Institute for Allergy and Asthma Research at the University of Zurich. “This means that potentially toxic substances remain on the dishes and then dry out there.”
Using new organoid technology thatcreates three-dimensional cellular structures that resemble various human organs, experts have studied the effects of various cleaning chemicals on the intestines. The results showed that the chemicals caused specific changes in genes “that are involved in cell survival, epithelial barrier function, cytokine signaling and metabolism.”
Focusing on specific chemicalssubstances causing damage, researchers have identified alcohol ethoxylates as the culprit. They are often used in detergents and cleaning products to remove contaminants from surfaces.
Previous studies have shown that alcohol ethoxylates are non-toxic to human cells. Now the situation has changed.
It is important to note that any actual damagehuman intestines remains hypothetical at this time. But, according to scientists, the effect of alcohol ethoxylates on intestinal cells observed in the study can trigger a number of inflammatory diseases in people.
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