Gone With The Wind

This paper was written with the sole intention of informing consumers about the products they may currently be buying.  Hopefully with enough demand from consumers industries will supply safer and more sustainable products.

Tropical Rain Forest, Summer Sky, Hawaiian Breeze, and Apple Cinnamon are just some of the air freshener fragrances the public can buy in their local store.  Air fresheners can be sprayed plugged in, lighted, placed loose in the house, or hung on rear view mirrors.  To the public this is just a way of making the day more pleasant.  But air fresheners are not as benign as they appear.  They release pollutants. Hence the can cause: eye irritations, dry mucous membranes, mental fatigue, headaches, hoarseness, wheezing, nausea, dizziness, neurological disorders, cancer, allergic reactions and even death (Augustine Airaodin et al).

🧪TOXIC CHEMICALS ARE FOUND IN AIR FRESHENERS🤢

Air fresheners do not magically transform the air from smelling foul to pleasant.  They simply mask the scent. Therfore , when the air freshener stops dispensing smells the foul odor returns.  Unpleasant smells actually might be good for us to detect.  They are signs of contaminated ground water or soil, sewage leakage, mold, etc.  Without having the smell as an indicator these problems could get worse.  This could result in both economic and health problems.

Air fresheners are either synthetic (made from esters) or organic (essential oils).  Either way they extract the smell with alcohol.  Some brands prefer one type of alcohol over another such as Isopropyl or propyl.  Isopropyl is usually utilized since it is the cheapest ( W. Nazaroff 2006). Alcohol can cause health reactions, however its toxicity is minor compared to what is added next.  These chemicals can include but are not limited to:sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, VOC’s, D-linonene, linalool, terpenes, benezine, and phalates (P Jayasinghe et al). These are ingredients meant to keep the smell in the air for long periods of time.  However they are also linked to serious health problems (Wouter et al 2014). 

👃NO REGULATION ON AIR FRESHENERS📜

Most people have the misconception that everything harmful to humans is regulated by the government.  Products producing a scent do not have to reveal what ingredients cause the smell (R Scott 2008).  This means they can put any toxin they want into the mixture and not reveal it to the consumer.  Currently this practice is completely legal (Gary Marchant).  Certain individuals suffer serious health issues when they smell air fresheners.  These people include asthmatics, autistic people and those with chemical sensitivities (A Steinemann and Goodman 2019).

Business offices have become aware of this problem.  Some of them have implemented scent free policies.  Employers, visitors, and volunteers can’t use shampoo, hairspray, soap, lotion, aftershave or cologne that is scented and no air fresheners are allowed.  Some places require mandatory compliance and enforce these measures while others just have voluntary compliance. Over 50% of the population prefers fragrance free workplaces, hotels and planes. Workers in these environments have less adverse health problems, miss fewer days of work, are more productive, and have more positive outlooks on life than those in perfumed environments (Anne Steinemann). Fragrance free workplaces can also save on lawsuits.  One employee that was not provided a fragrance free workplace after proving he had a chemical sensitivity was awarded $100,000 (Burg et al 2013)

💨 A FEW AIR FRESHENER SOLUTIONS 🪟

Nowadays a lot of people are working from home.  The indoor air quality in our homes affects our moods, health and productivity.  Bad smells can also have a negative effect on these elements of life.  How do we create a happy medium in which everyone is satisfied?  One thing to do is keep indoor air ventilated.  Open windows and allow the cross breeze to flush out the stale air.  Remove or fix the things that cause bad orders. If nothing is working then an investment in a quality air purifier should help clear the air (Lui et al 2017).  

Air quality affects all forms of life.  If humans are getting effects so are other animals.  We all depend on each other to survive.  Spare yourself and the health of the planet and don’t invest in any scented product.  That way we can all breathe a little easier.