A recent study reveals that hair care products release significant amounts of cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes (cVMS) in both indoors and outdoors. cVMS not only pollutes indoor air but also affects the external environment. Moreover, its long exposure may be bioaccumulative and has the potential to cause harm to the environment.
American researchers conducted an experiment to measure cVMS emissions in a small house. The emissions were measured while volunteers used a variety of hair care products and tools, including eight silicone-based products and three heated styling tools such as hair creams, serums, conditioners, straighteners, and curling irons. Researchers will sample and analyze the air around volunteers.
The experiment results indicate that the air in the small house has changed shortly after the beginning of hair care and styling. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detected in the house were mainly cVMS, with the highest concentration of D5. The concentration of cVMS will increase as the temperature of the curling iron rises. Researchers also noticed that if hair remains in the same space for an extended period of time after conditioning, the cumulative amount of silicone will remain to increase. However, with an exhaust fan, the concentration of silicone may be decreased by 70%. At the same time, cVMS will be released outside through the exhaust fan and will react with hydroxyl radicals (OH) in the atmosphere, resulting in the production of oxidation reaction products, such as siloxanol.
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