The dangers of MIT

Well, well. How about this para from a report in Forbes.com?

“Aizenman said he is concerned that without such testing it is not known if, for example, a pregnant woman who is exposed to MIT could put her fetus at risk for abnormal brain development. People working directly with MIT are those most at risk, he said.”

I’ve often wondered about some of those folks from MIT. But, sadly, the story turns out to be about the dangers of shampoo. It turns out that an ingredient found in shampoos, hand lotions and paint causes neurons to die. The chemical, methylisothiazolinone, has been assigned the acronynm MIT by chemists. It belongs to a class of compounds called biocides which are are used in the manufacture of many common household products and industrial water cooling systems to prevent bacteria from developing. According to the National Institutes of Health, brands containing MIT include the shampoos Head and Shoulders, Suave, and Clairol, as well as Pantene hair conditioner and Revlon hair color.

Phew! This is one of the few cases where losing one’s hair puts one ahead.

(Thanks to Gerard for the link.)