Accreditation

Study finds nurses at risk due to chemical exposure in hospitals

Accreditation Connection, December 13, 2007

Nurses face long-term health risks to both themselves and their children due to exposure to everyday hospitals chemicals, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Researchers with the Environmental Working Group and Health Care Without Harm found that nurses who were exposed regularly to chemicals such as gasses used in anesthesia, hand disinfectants, cleaning agents, chemotherapy and retrovirus drugs, mercury, and other chemicals common in healthcare settings faced an increased risk of cancer, asthma, and miscarriage. The study found that nurses pregnant during exposure to these chemicals faced an increased risk of having children with birth defects.

To read the full report, click here.

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