This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Deodorizer is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
Air fresheners are consumer products that mitigate unpleasant odors in indoor spaces. They can be in the form of candles, aerosol sprays, potpourri, gels and mechanical or heat release products. 1
They work in one of five ways:
- Adsorption: Adsorbents like activated charcoal or silica gel may be used to absorb offending, chemical odors.
- Chemical neutralization: Substances such as rubber or TEG may be used for some odors.
- Disinfection. Odors caused by bacterial activity can be eliminated by disinfectants like ozone, TEG, or bleaching agents containing hydrogen peroxide, chlorine or hypochlorites.
- Masking: Many "fresheners" obscure odors with a fragrance.
- Anesthetization: Some air fresheners use anesthetics to dull the sense of smell.
Contents |
Criticism of toxicity
A Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study of 13 common household air fresheners found that most of the surveyed products contain chemicals that can aggravate asthma and affect reproductive development. The NRDC called for more rigorous supervision of the manufacturers and their products, which are widely assumed to be safe:
"The study assessed scented sprays, gels, and plug-in air fresheners. Independent lab testing confirmed the presence of phthalates, or hormone-disrupting chemicals that may pose a particular health risk to babies and young children, in 12 of the 14 products—including those marked 'all natural.' None of the products had these chemicals listed on their labels."
On September 19, 2007, the NRDC, along with the Sierra Club, Alliance for Healthy Homes, and the National Center for Healthy Housing filed a petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to report the findings.2
Exposure to volatile organic compounds through frequent use of air fresheners and other aerosols in the home was found to correlate with increased earaches and diarrhea in infants, and with increased depression in their mothers in a large study3 reported by the University of Bristol in the UK in 2003.
In 2008, Anne Steinemann of the University of Washington published a study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review. She found that all six products tested gave off at least one chemical regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws, but none of those chemicals was listed on the product labels. Chemicals included acetone, the active ingredient in paint thinner and nail-polish remover; limonene, a molecule with a citrus scent; and acetaldehyde, chloromethane and 1,4-dioxane. A plug-in air freshener contained more than 20 different volatile organic compounds. Of these, seven are regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws.4
See also
References
- ^ http://science.enotes.com/how-products-encyclopedia/air-freshener How Products Are Made: Air Freshener
- ^ Air Fresheners Unregulated, Potentially Dangerous, Group Says
- ^ "Symptoms of mothers and infants related to total volatile organic compounds in household products" Arch Environ Health. 2003 Oct;58(10):633-41; PMID 15562635; "Air fresheners can make mothers and babies ill" University of Bristol press release issued 19 October 2004
- ^ Toxic Chemicals Found in Common Scented Laundry Products, Air Fresheners Newswise, Retrieved on July 23, 2008.
External links
- British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association
- Danger alert over air fresheners
- Common Air Fresheners Contain Chemicals That May Affect Human Reproductive Development
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 6 January 2009, at 01:52.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Deodorizer".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.