WHO vigorously warned cancer-causing chemical MBT in pupae and pacifiers

WHO puts mercaptobenzothiazole on the list of carcinogenic substances
There are many substances and products that are considered carcinogenic. We use some of these products daily in our homes, without being aware of the dangers involved. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now stated that baby dolls, car tires or rubber gloves contain a substance that is highly carcinogenic.

Cancer is a major threat to human health. The consequences of the disease can be dramatic, in the worst case the disease ends with death. Thus, we should try to minimize our risk of cancer and avoid any products containing carcinogens. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now stated in a study that some everyday products are suspected of causing cancer in us. Examples of such products include baby dolls, baby pacifiers or rubber gloves. The WHO published the results of the investigation in the journal "The Lancet".

Use of condoms is safe, MBT amount very low
The chemical mercaptobenzothiazole, also called MBT for short, is widely used. It is often included in rubber products. These include items that we use in everyday life.

Workers in factories that make rubber products unprotected, however, are at an increased risk because they come into contact with such chemicals every day. Experts from eight countries around the world now met in France to discuss whether MBT should be included in the "Encyclopaedia of Carcinogens". The researchers found that there is ample evidence of a carcinogenic effect of MBT, the researchers explain.

Workers in road construction particularly at risk from MBT in road dust
MBT is now officially one of the substances that can cause cancer. The list of these dangerous substances is long and includes more than a hundred different substances. For example, the MBT chemical is found in pacifiers and is often used in the production of rubber gloves. In addition, they are also found in cleaners that are used in the medical field, quoted the "Telegraph" Professor Hans Kromhout, a member of the expert panels, which has discussed in France on the evaluation of MBT. Factory workers and road workers are at increased risk, as the MBT chemical has been found increasingly in road dust. There it gets over the abrasion of rubber tires. Workers on the street can then inhale the dust that contains a significant amount of MBT. This increases the likelihood of cancer. The risk increases even more because the exhaust gases of vehicles can exacerbate the situation, explains Professor Kromhout to the Telegraph..

MBT can cause colon cancer, bladder cancer and blood cancer
MBT is mainly used in the manufacture of rubber products. Thus, workers in this industry would need the most protection. The general public is exposed to only a few rubber products containing small quantities of MBT, the experts explain. The chemical could then be absorbed by skin contact. Such products include, for example, some gloves and shoes. The impact of MBT has been studied and analyzed by the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The chemical can trigger different types of cancer in us. These are colon cancer, bladder cancer and a type of blood cancer, explains Professor Tom Sorahan of Birmingham University opposite the "Telegraph". However, consumers would not have to worry. The amount of MBT in the products of daily life is very low and probably not harmful, as the professor of the Telegraph quotes. MBT is just one of the many dangerous carcinogens already identified by the WHO. These also include excessive sunbathing, tobacco smoke, alcoholic beverages, diesel soot, wood dust, processed meat, asbestos and mineral oils.