[Oct 2006] Otitis headaches depression: There's something fishy about some air fresheners
"But some of these products may compromise your family's health. In homes
where air fresheners were used most days, babies less than 6 months old had
30 percent more ear infections than those where air fresheners were used
less than once a week, according to an extensive 1999 study by researchers
at the University of Bristol in England. This study also reported that
mothers suffered from 25 percent more headaches and 19 percent more
depression in homes where aerosols and air fresheners were used frequently."
There's something fishy about some air fresheners
By Tom Watson
The Seattle Times, Oct 7, 2006
Straight to the Source
http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3076.cfm
Who doesn't love fresh air?
If you define fresh air as unpolluted outdoor air, the ideal indoor "air
freshener" is an open window. But that's not always practical, and it seems
that many folks don't necessarily want fresh air in their home. They want
air that smells good to them, or at least air that covers up the bad odors.
Hence the booming $9-billion-a-year home-fragrance industry, which includes
air-freshener sprays, plug-ins, battery-powered units, potpourris and
candles. This rapidly growing industry continues to introduce creative new
air-freshener products with evocative names such as "Country Berries,"
"Vanilla Breeze," "Wandering Barefoot on the Shore" and, if you really want
to get down to business, "Super Odor Killer."
But some of these products may compromise your family's health. In homes
where air fresheners were used most days, babies less than 6 months old had
30 percent more ear infections than those where air fresheners were used
less than once a week, according to an extensive 1999 study by researchers
at the University of Bristol in England. This study also reported that
mothers suffered from 25 percent more headaches and 19 percent more
depression in homes where aerosols and air fresheners were used frequently.
Last May, University of California, Berkeley researchers reported that
three of the four air fresheners they sampled contained substantial
quantities of terpenes, chemicals that may react with ozone (also commonly
found in indoor air) to produce a number of toxic compounds.
Small children also face risks from simply having these products in the
home. They can get spray or oils in their eyes, for example. Poison control
centers in the U.S. reported 16,242 incidents of toxic exposure from air
fresheners in 2004, says the American Association of Poison Control
Centers. More than 80 percent of those exposures involved children under 6
years old.
Some air fresheners pose more of a risk than others. In August, after a
study reported that air fresheners may contain the hazardous compound
paradichlorobenzene, the S.C. Johnson company issued a press release
pointing out that none of its Glade air fresheners or Oust air sanitizer
products use that chemical.
But the total chemical composition of most air fresheners remains a
closely-guarded secret. The federal government's Household Products
Database (www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov)
does provide useful
information, by product name, about some air fresheners. For instance, you
will learn that aerosol air fresheners often contain the flammable
propellants butane and propane. But many air fresheners do not list any
specific ingredients, neither in the database nor on product labels or
packaging.
The price of "freshness"
In addition to the questionable chemicals in some air fresheners, the
newest products often have an additional negative environmental impact: You
need batteries or electricity to run them.
The cost of buying sweet smells can quickly add up. Aerosol sprays commonly
sell for $1.79 to $4, while plug-ins and fan-operated units may cost $5 to
$15, plus the additional cost of the fragrance refills. Procter & Gamble
offers an air-freshener unit for about $30 that plays "scent discs," using
a concept similar to a CD player.
One line of home "air sanitizer" products, Oust from S.C. Johnson, claims
to kill odor-causing bacteria in the air rather than just covering up
odors. But an aerosol version of this product consists of 25 percent to 35
percent "liquefied, sweetened petroleum gases" and is highly flammable,
according to the Household Products Database.
Using sense about scents
Rather than masking odors as most air fresheners do, try to remove odors at
the source. Experts from the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in
King County recommend using baking soda to absorb smells on carpets or in
garbage cans.
If you want to add an appealing smell to your home, they suggest simmering
cloves and cinnamon in water.
For a gentler fragrance than synthetic air fresheners, the nonprofit
Organic Consumers Association also recommends sachets of natural dried
flowers or herbs, such as roses, lavender and lemon verbena.
Another burning issue
Because candles also send a variety of byproducts into the air, indoor-air
quality expert Thad Godish from Indiana's Ball State University recommends
against burning candles in your home more than a few times a week.
Also keep in mind that candles cause more than 23,000 residential fires
every year, resulting in 165 deaths and $390 million in direct property
loss, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
If you do buy candles, make sure the label says, "lead-free wick." Consider
beeswax or soy candles as greener alternatives to petroleum-based paraffin
candles.
The monthly EcoConsumer column aims to help readers balance consuming and
conserving. Tom Watson is project manager for King County's Recycling and
Environmental Services. Reach him at
tom.watson@metrokc.gov. Watch for more
EcoConsumer resources from King County at
www.KCecoconsumer.com.