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AIR FRESHENERS

Articles from Gina Solomon at the NRDC's Switchboard blog:

  • Hidden Hazards in Air Fresheners. This is the "overview". NRDC testing finds hormone-altering chemicals in common air fresheners. (This is the testing Solomon refers to in her article linked above.)
  • The Fact Sheet. Protect Your Family from the Hidden Hazards in Air Fresheners. (pdf) NRDC. "quick reference". This is an easy-to-read two pages that explains the chemicals and lists the products tested. The dangerous chemicals, never included in ingredient lists, were found even in products claiming to be "all natural" or "unscented". Keep in mind this testing addressed ONLY PHTHALATES, not the many other harmful chemicals usually found in these products. For instance, one Febreze product showed no phthalates, yet it is very toxic. ljlkj
  • Clearing The Air: Hidden Hazards of Air Fresheners. This is the "full issue paper" of the test, a 16 page pdf.
Additional links found within the above articles follow below. The first two have to do with prevalence.
  1. The national prevalence of chemical hypersensitivity, the medical diagnosis of multiple chemical sensitivities, and potential overlaps with asthma. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, August-Sept, 2005 by Stanley M. Caress, Anne C. Steinemann
  2. National Prevalence of Asthma and Chemical Hypersensitivity: An Examination of Potential Overlap. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, May 2005, Stanley M. Caress PhD., Anne C. Steinemann PhD.
  3. Perfume/Fragrance This is a list of articles addressing these issues in magazine Our Toxic Times, published monthly by CIIN (the Chemical Injury Information Network)
  4. European Commission Report January 2005. "Emission of chemicals by air fresheners; Tests on 74 consumer products sold in Europe" By the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks. The 74 products included sprays, plug-ins, gels, incense, and scented candles. Benzene, formaldehyde, irritants, allergens and phthalates were found.
  5. Harvard study linking DEP with abnormalities in sperm DNA. 2006 Oxford Journal (DEP is a phthalate, ubiquitous in our daily environment - in plastics, cosmetics, personal care products, food packaging materials, and more.)
  6. University of Rochester: genital alterations in baby boys with higher exposures to DEP in the womb. Environmental Health Perspectives, Volume 113, Number 8, August 2005. Actual article title is: "Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure".
  7. Danish study reports alterations in sex hormone levels in 3 month old babies whose mothers had higher levels of DEP in their breast milk. Environmental Health Perspectives, Volume 114, Number 2, February 2006. Actual article title: "Human Breast Milk Contamination with Phthalates and Alterations of Endogenous Reproductive Hormones in Infants Three Months of Age".
  8. Health Risks of Fabric Softeners. While this is less about air fresheners, it does include a lot of good chemical info regarding chemical fragrances in general. From Canada's AEHA (Allergy and Environmental Health Association). It also provides a good list of healthy alternatives to toxic products.

A collection of resources: living wage....Fair Trade.... organic food and agriculture issues.... pesticides and herbicides on our lawns....chemicals in our home products, furnishings and building materials, in cosmetics and body care products.... and how all these things impact the baby in the womb, the toddler on the floor and on the lawn, and we adults as well.