New research reveals the safety of certain chemicals used in dishwashing detergents after enterocyte models reveal that high doses of ingredients in rinse aids can impair gut health Gender is questionable.
Commercial dishwashers are designed to maximize efficiency by using a minimum amount of water, blasting dirty dishes with detergent, and rinsing aid in two quick cycles lasting a few minutes. A new study by an international team of researchers shows how much chemicals remain on dishes after these commercial dishwashers complete a cycle and how these chemicals affect human intestinal tissue. was accurately investigated.
Cezmi Akdis, director of the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma at the University of Zurich, who led the study, said: “Of particular concern is that many appliances lack an additional cleaning cycle to remove residual rinse aid. “This means that potentially toxic substances remain on the dish and dry there.”
The effects of different detergent chemicals on the gut were studied using a novel organoid technology that allows researchers to generate three-dimensional cellular structures that resemble various human organs. The results revealed that the chemicals caused distinct changes in genes “involved in cell survival, epithelial barrier, cytokine signaling, and metabolism.”
Focusing on the specific chemical causing the damage, the researchers identified the culprit as alcohol ethoxylate. helps remove the
Previous studies have found alcohol ethoxylates to be non-toxic to human cells and have found no evidence to suggest they are carcinogenic or mutagenic. This is the first study to show that ethoxylates can have detrimental effects on intestinal cells.
In terms of residual chemical concentrations in the dish, the researchers found that the greatest damage to intestinal cells was due to the alcohol ethoxylate present in the rinse aid at a 1:10,000 dilution. The study notes that home dishwashers tend to use a little more water and longer wash cycles with a dilution factor calculated at 1:80,000. Therefore, researchers are interested in commercial dishwashers with a small cycle dilution factor of 1:2,000.
It’s important to note that the actual damage to the human gut is still only a hypothesis at this point.According to Akdis, the effects of alcohol ethoxylates on intestinal cells seen in the study are linked to many inflammations in humans. It can cause sexually transmitted diseases.
“The effects we discovered mark the beginning of the disruption of the intestinal epithelial lining, which can lead to the development of many chronic diseases,” said Akdis. “Alcohol ethoxylates appear to be commonly used in commercial dishwashers, so it is important to inform the public about this risk.”
Ultimately, the researchers suggest that further research into the health effects of alcohol ethoxylates is urgently needed. Although it may be difficult to assess, it is possible to make sure there is no detergent left on the dishes at home.
A new study was published in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Source: University of Zurich
