Consumer concern about toxicity in mobile homes is a problem that is not diminishing, but is growing in importance for health reasons, as there are a growing number of mobile home occupants who have experienced serious health problems and notorious while living in trailers. Most recently, the large number of people made homeless after Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana.

In an attempt to provide immediate temporary homes for the many thousands who lost their homes, the federal government stepped in and provided quickly built home trailers for many families until they could find their own permanent place to live. After several months of living in these foster homes, many people began to notice health problems they had never had before, such as asthma problems, upper respiratory problems, and a host of other strange symptoms. Many attributed these adverse reactions to the mobile homes they lived in, noting a strong, pungent odor constantly being emitted from the houses.

While this is a general example without a full scientific study to back up its claims thus far, there is growing evidence that traditionally built mobile homes have an undue amount of chemicals in the building materials used to build them. Federal regulatory agencies have even lowered the allowable amount of chemical toxins allowed in the construction of these homes since the 1980s.

Obviously, there has been a concern backed by scientific evidence for quite some time about the negative health effects associated with living in most typical mobile homes, especially newer homes that still emit dangerous chemical fumes. So why aren’t health experts and government regulatory agencies directly addressing the issue of mobile home toxicity? And why is the public not aware of the dangers of this phenomenon?

The short explanation is that excluding or banning the material used in the construction of these homes would seriously hurt mobile home manufacturers and sales. There is a regulatory ‘band-aid’ provision regarding chemical toxins used in the construction of these homes, but it doesn’t really make home trailers as safe as they should be for consumers. Therefore, it is important that consumers are aware of what they are getting when they choose to buy a new mobile home.

What does building a typical house trailer entail? Particleboard is often used in the siding, subfloor, and deck of most mobile homes. It is also used in the construction of interior kitchen and bathroom cabinets, as well as other areas. Vinyl is very often used to cover walls, floors, and other surfaces for a better finish.

Also, glue is used in various places around the house. Carpets are also used to cover floors. Sounds normal right? The problem is that most of these substances have a high level of various chemicals that continue to degas for years. Chemicals like formaldehyde are found in particle board and plywood. It is also found in carpets and in various types of glues.

Petrochemicals are also found in vinyl and plastics, as well as some carpets. These are just some of the most toxic chemicals used in mobile home construction materials. That shouldn’t take into account the various stains, paints, and sealants used in the construction process. If these chemicals can be dangerous to a person’s health, why are they used constantly?

Since mobile homes need to be lighter for road traffic, many of these chemicals make homes much lighter. Also, it is cheaper to use synthetic materials rather than natural materials such as solid wood. For health reasons, it is important to understand inherited toxicity in mobile homes for those planning to buy a new one or already living in a trailer.

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