DIY can make you ill, study finds

LONDON: It is the excuse that men who hate DIY have been waiting for: household renovations could be bad for the health.

British researchers have warned that sanding and drilling create “dangerous dust” emissions – including clouds of microscopic particles linked to heart disease and cancer.

They called for health and safety regulations to be updated to protect builders and urged amateur enthusiasts to protect themselves.

With face masks not completely effective in filtering out the suspect particles, they recommend wetting walls and other surfaces to trap dust before starting work.

Study author Dr Prashant Kumar said: “Some of the most harmful particles are invisible and we shouldn’t underestimate the effect on our health and on the health of those around us.”

The warning comes amid a DIY boom. Latest figures show that spending on home improvements reached £5.5 billion (R111.3bn) last year – the highest level since the recession.

And a report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors found that families are opting to mend or extend their current homes rather than move. A lack of suitable housing and high stamp duty fees – despite reforms last year to reduce the cost – have made “renovation and extension works more financially appealing than changing home”.

Kumar, an environmental engineer, carried out 20 different building activities and collected and analysed the dust created. So-called ultra fine particles, up to 70 000 times thinner than a human hair, made up 97 percent of the particles in the dust. Their small size is thought to make them dangerous because it allows them to travel deep into the lungs, where they could trigger cancer. – Daily Mail