A new study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) discusses how and why air freshners can affect our health.
The study talks about volatile organic compounds (VOCs) being found in numerous home fragrance products. Some VOCs include formaldehyde, terpenes, benzene, alcohols and ammonia. Certain chemicals found in fragrances contain ingredients considered toxic or hazardous under federal laws. VOCs can trigger headaches and respiratory tract irritation. There are also concerns about phthalates being discovered in fragrances which have been reported to cause hormone disruptions and cancer.
Statistics from the study “Is that Breath of Fresh Air Really Fresh? Do air freshners help?”….
- 20% of general population and 34% of asthmatics reported health problems from air freshners.
- 30% of general population and 38% of asthmatics reported problems when exposed to other’s scented products.
- 58% of people with chemical sensitivity report health problems from air freshners.
This presentation suggested that doctors consider fragrance exposure in diagnosis and discuss the problems of fragrances with their patients. They even recommended one patient stop wearing perfume and using home air fragrances as part of her allergy treatment.
Please look at the original study, here is the link
If you would like more info from the ACAAI conference use this link
smell INC. 