In homes all around the world, wallpaper is a common material used to spruce up the design of an otherwise boring wall.
Almost any house you’ll see, no matter where, is going to have wallpaper in it.
From your mother’s tacky, off-color wallpaper, to something in your own home. It’s everywhere.
However, inside your wallpaper may lay a hidden danger.
Little known toxins in your wallpaper
Dangerous toxins, generally classified as “heavy metals”, are used in the treatment of wallpaper, helping to make it more resistant to wear and tear.
But, the chemicals used in its treatment linger much longer than they should. Exposure to heavy metals in undeniably awful for your health.
The proven effects of heavy metal poisoning are as follows:
- Birth defects
- Learning disabilities
- Asthma
- Blood toxicity
- Reproductive issues
And many more, this is just what the EPA has discovered so far from studying effected populations.
Now, just what heavy metals can wallpaper contain?
Some of those most common ones are chlorine, mercury, arsenic, tin, and lead. Most of us are familiar with the negative effects of lead poisoning, but not as many people know that all these heavy metals have very similar effects.
And we’re surrounded by it on a daily basis in our own homes. Heavy metal poisoning isn’t just the domain of factory workers.
Something that has often been in the news, is the use of lead paint in children’s toys.
These recent uproars in the news have brought attention to the fact that children are especially affected by exposure to heavy metals.
With that in mind, you must be extra cautious that children are not exposed to these materials.
Phthalate: A hidden danger
A toxic substance, known as “phthalate”, is used in the manufacture of wallpaper, and bears a similar consequence of exposure.
It does not stay bound to the wallpaper, and makes its way into the air as a fine powder, which is then inhaled by those that are exposed to it.
Even if your children are not directly exposed to it, there’s many ways they can receive second-hand contact with the malicious chemical.
Any phthalate absorbed will not leave the body for a very, very long time.
Children that are breastfed by someone with phthalate poisoning, will have the dangerous chemical transmitted into their bloodstream as well.
And as I mentioned earlier, children have a much lower tolerance for heavy metal poisoning than adults do.
Even indirect exposure will cause negative effects as well. Heavy metals can be found in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women exposed to such chemicals, and can cause serious birth defects.
Mold in wallpaper
As if potential chemical poisoning wasn’t bad enough, another hidden danger could be lurking in your wallpaper.
Something that is much more obvious to the human eye, and that is mold. We’ve all seen moldy wallpaper, and it’s just as disgusting for your health, as it is to look at.
As air passes over mold, it releases mold spores into the air, which help the growth spread to other parts of your house.
And in doing this, it exposes you to the detrimental toxins of mold. When introduced to your lungs, it can cause something known as “sick building syndrome”.
It doesn’t seem like a very scientific term, but it’s a term that’s used to describe symptoms very similar to asthma.
However, it is temporary, and recovery is possible from the passing effects. If you have symptoms similar to these, which do not end when seasons change, there’s a cause for concern.
Your home could very well be infected with mold.
There’s many, many kinds of mold that could be growing on your wallpaper, and none of them have anything pleasant to them.
The growth of mold is fueled by moisture, and can pop up anywhere in your home. Exposure to it can be quite disastrous, with some strains even causing serious respiratory problems.
However, most strains have more common health concerns.
Mold on your wallpaper can cause a variety of health issues, such as:
- Headaches
- Trouble breathing
- Fatigue
It’s often hard to notice, but it’s something that you should definitely keep an eye out for.
Now that you know the dangers of mold growing on your wallpaper, what can you do to both look out for mold growth, and prevent it?
Treatment and prevention
Mold thrives on humidity. The best thing you can do for prevention of mold growth, is to ensure that your home has proper levels of humidity.
HVAC, or any form of dehumidifier will be a great boon to preventing the growth of any kind of household mold.
Identifying mold on your wallpaper is as simple visually inspecting it.
Small spots of it will often be visible in any effected area. As well, the smell of the mold is extremely apparent in most cases. But if you are looking to be extra thorough, you will need to check behind it as well.
Opening up these pockets of mold is a risky process best left to professionals, but with some commitment it can be done at your own pace.
At a hardware store, look for a cartridge-type respirator. Simple small covering masks will not do for this sort of work, you’re going to want to minimize your exposure to the open mold.
Wet the wallpaper down first so you avoid the spreading of any more mold spores. Then, carefully peel the wallpaper off the wall, a small utility knife may aid in this process.
Once you’ve removed all the wallpaper, it’s time to wash down the wall.
A bleach and water solution will help to kill any existing mold on the wall, and you’ll have it sanitized in no time. Just be sure to be very thorough in your scrubbing; the smallest bit of mold left can grow back into a large colony.
If you’re going to put up new wallpaper following this, I’d suggest using nonwoven wallpaper. Its structure allows the wallpaper to breath, unlike traditional vinyl wallpaper.
If you are wallpapering a new room, I would highly suggest that you look into nonwoven wallpaper. Although you’ll be paying a premium for it, the costs much outweigh the detriment that mold can pose to your health.
Besides phthalates and wallpaper molds, there are more than thousands of toxic chemicals in many of the food and products you eat or use every day and they can increase your risk of diseases and even the big C..
Go to the next page and & learn how you can protect your body from these deadly toxins –
About the Author:
Emma Deangela is the best selling author of The Alkaline Diet Program and 80/20 Fat Loss. She has helped over tens of thousands of men and women to lose weight and transform their health with sound nutrition advice. Learn how you can lose weight fast – How to lose weight by adding these alkaline foods.
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