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Children breathing fumes from water-based paints have high risk of asthma, allergies, new study says

Children who sleep in bedrooms with fumes from water-based paints and solvents are two to four times more likely to suffer allergies or asthma, according to a new scientific study. Swedish and U.S. scientists measured the compounds – propylene glycol and glycol ethers – in the bedroom air of 400 toddlers and preschoolers, and discovered that the exposed children had substantially higher rates of asthma, stuffy noses and eczema. The irony is that these compounds are supposed to be healthier than the old, high-polluting, oil-based paints and solvents.

Andy Aldridge/flickr

Fumes from water-based paints and solvents in a child's bedroom may be a significant trigger for allergies or asthma, according to a new scientific study.

By Marla Cone
Editor in Chief
Environmental Health News