Dr. Sam Illingworth reads his poem Deadly Nails. Poem 6. Find the Deadly Nails video: Here
This collaboration is the first in a series of ideaXme collaborations with scientists, innovators and artists who move the human story forward.
Dr. Sam Illingworth, PhD. Atmospheric Physics, is an Associate Professor in Academic Practice at Edinburgh University in the UK. His work and research focus on using poetry and games to develop dialogue between different audiences.
This poem is inspired by recent research, which has found unexpectedly high levels of hazardous chemicals in nail salons.
Deadly Nails
Public attention with regards to the hazards in nail salons has increased recently, likely because of the expansion of the industry and the perceived vulnerability of nail salon workers; most nail salon workers are women who often are immigrants and work in precarious employment. Nail salon workers are also potentially exposed to various hazardous chemicals including ortho-phthalate esters (phthalates) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) in the cosmetic and personal care products that are used in their workplace. These chemicals have been associated with negative health impacts, including both adverse neurological and reproductive effects. As such it is important to fully understand the extent to which people working in nail salons are exposed to these chemicals.
In this new study, researchers measured the occupational exposure to phthalates and OPEs for a selection of nail salon workers in Toronto. Salon workers were asked to wear an active air sampler, a silicone brooch, and a silicone wristband during their work shift, which were then used to measure their exposure to these chemicals. In analysing the results, exposures for some chemicals were found to be up to 30 times higher among nail salon workers relative to exposures in the home. In some cases they were even 10 times higher than levels found in e-waste handling facilities, an industry in which exposure to these harmful chemicals is more fully understood, and thus better regulated. Several of the chemicals found in the nail salons have some restrictions on their use under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. However, most of the chemicals are not explicitly regulated in Ontario workplaces. This study therefore highlights the need for government and product manufacturers to make safer personal care products and also provide safer spaces for workers and customers in the personal services sector.
Video credits: Video footage from Canva. Voice over for ideaXme introduction: Neil Koenig former Senior BBC producer and journalist and current ideaXme board advisor and guest interviewer. Music for ideaXme introduction: Music: Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/…
Research on which the poem is based: Occupational Exposure of Canadian Nail Salon Workers to Plasticizers Including Phthalates and Organophosphate Esters
Links to Dr. Illingworth’s audio podcast and social media: Find all of his poems in this series: https://thepoetryofscience.scienceblo…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samillingworth?re…
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consiliencej…
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