Problems with Air Fresheners
Details the potential problems with using Air Fresheners in your home, car, bathroom, etc
Using commercial air fresheners as a way of covering odors or making a home smell fresh and clean is common. With so many brands and wonderful fragrances, you can choose a different product for every room of the house. While these products work in covering or eliminating odors, many also pose health risks.
Most importantly, read the label of any air freshener product you choose since some contain things that pollute the air and cause health risks. For instance, it is common to see ingredients such as formaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, camphor, ethanol, naphthalene, and artificial fragrances. Obviously, breathing these types of chemicals in is not good, especially for small children and people with respiratory problems such as asthma.
In addition to spray air fresheners, new studies are now showing that ionizing air cleaners emit ozone, some at harmful levels. Even though millions of these cleaners have been sold, major questions are now being raised about their safety. The concern is that ozone is an irritant that is known to aggravate asthma, as well as decreasing lung function. At high levels, people would likely experience difficult breathing, chest pain, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
Even stick-on air fresheners can cause serious problems. These fresheners contain benzyl acetate, which is a carcinogenic that has been linked to pancreatic cancer. The vapors from this ingredient causes irritation to the eyes and lungs. In addition, benzyl acetate can be absorbed through the skin, causing systemic effects. Ethanol is another common ingredient found in many types of air fresheners, which causes symptoms of fatigue, irritation to the eyes, and upper respiratory issues.
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Okay, so what is the answer? If you still want to use air fresheners, just remember that regardless of the product or fragrance used, you want to make sure rooms are always well ventilated, that dangerous chemicals are not a part of the ingredient list, and that you, your family, or pets are not exposed in great length to these fragrances. If possible, choose only organic products, which are made from natural, non-toxic ingredients.
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