Whether you’re trying to mask an odor or you want to add a pleasant scent to your home, there are a number of air fresheners and home fragrance options available. However, I encourage you to avoid spraying an air freshener or lighting a scented candle until you’ve considered this information.
We have to be very careful with air fresheners and home fragrance products because some of them can be harmful. They seem innocuous enough, but using them may cause health problems for you and your family.
What’s the problem with air fresheners?
According to experts (source), air fresheners (including scented candles, sprays, gels, oils, liquids, solids, plug-ins, hanging disks, beads, potpourri, and wick diffusers) emit over 100 different chemicals. These include volatile organic compounds (terpenes, terpenoids, ethanol, formaldehyde, benzene, etc.) and semi-volatile organic compounds (such as phthalates). Moreover, the emissions from air fresheners can react with indoor oxidants to generate a range of oxidation products.
What all of this means for us is that air fresheners (through direct emissions and secondary reactions) give off hazardous air pollutants. Researchers have found that these pollutants are associated with a number of adverse health effects including migraine headaches, breathing difficulties (including asthma attacks), mucosal irritation, dermatitis, infant diarrhea and earache, neurological problems, and even ventricular fibrillation. Some of the pollutants (such as acetaldehyde) are classified as carcinogens.
Good luck finding out what exactly is in a particular air freshening product because laws in the U.S. do not require manufacturers to disclose what is in products of this type. You would need access to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to determine what is in these products. Researchers with access to these technologies have analyzed the composition of air fresheners and found that even those labeled as “all-natural,” “non-toxic,” or “green” contain volatile organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds.
All of this is concerning enough, but there is still another thing to keep in mind. Even when you stop using an air freshener or home fragrance product it doesn’t mean the air pollutants go away immediately. This is because, like cigarette smoke, air freshener compounds can be adsorbed into walls, upholstery, carpets, and other surfaces from which they are reemitted into the indoor air environment.
I didn’t know about all of these risks until a few years ago. Up until that time I used products like these in my home. Now that I know, though, I no longer use them. Thankfully, there are numerous safe ways to freshen the air in homes. We’ll take a look at these next week.
Were you aware of these health risks? If so, how do you protect your family from exposure to them?
Excellent information and so true! I have asthma and can’t breath around air fresheners. I keep telling my friend she needs to get rid of them. Shared
This is especially relevant for someone with asthma! My dad has asthma and definitely struggles when there are products like scented candles being used in a space.