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Hazards are hiding in fragranced
consumer products

Some fragrances in bath products and other cosmetics can trigger allergic reactions (Photo A few good reasons why we should

credit: Nietnagel via Flickr). abandon nuclear energy for good

Your environment, your health

By Dr. Anne Steinemann

They're everywhere: air fresheners, scented soaps, hand sanitizers, laundry

detergents, dryer sheets, and cleaning supplies. They emit numerous chemicals,
including some classified as toxic or hazardous, and even some with no exposure David Suzuki
level that is considered safe. Like You lik
this. U
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But you may not know about these hazards. Our laws do not require all C fi
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safety data sheets (MSDS). If ingredients are disclosed, they are typically general
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or benign-sounding ones, such as "biodegradable surfactants" or "organic
fragrance." What's more, a single "fragrance" in a product can be a mixture of No recent activity to display.
several dozen to several hundred chemicals, most of them synthetic. Even How safe are B.C.'s
products with claims of "green" or "organic" emit toxic and hazardous chemicals, grizzlies?
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http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/docs-talk/2011/02/hazards-are-hiding-in-fragranced-consumer-products/[4/4/2011 6:44:36 PM]

Hazards are hiding in fragranced consumer products | Docs Talk | David Suzuki Foundation

These products can cause a range of adverse health effects, such as headaches, Birthday in Montreal
41 people shared this.
breathing difficulties, asthma attacks, rashes, and even loss of consciousness 1 . I
wanted to find out what ingredients could be causing these effects. Together with
Facebook social plugin
colleagues, I analyzed 25 best-selling fragranced products — air fresheners,
laundry products, cleaners, and personal care products — to find out what's really
in them. We used headspace analysis with gas chromatography/mass
spectrometry to detect the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the
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products2 .

The results were surprising: These 25 products emitted 133 different VOCs, with
an average of 17 VOCs per product. Of these 133 VOCs, 24 are classified as
toxic or hazardous under U.S. federal laws, and each product emitted between
one and eight of these compounds.

In most cases, consumers would have no way of knowing about these chemical
ingredients. Only one was listed on any product label, and only two were listed
on any MSDS. Moreover, about half the products made some claim of being
"green" (such as "organic," "natural," with "essential oils" or "organic perfume"),
and they emitted just as many toxic and hazardous compounds, and probable
carcinogens, as the standard products3 (Full results).

Why is this, given that we have dozens of environmental laws designed to protect
and promote public health? Here's why: No law in the U.S. or Canada requires
manufacturers to disclose all ingredients in consumer products (such as air
fresheners, laundry supplies, and cleaners), either on the label or the MSDS. For
the subset of consumer products considered to be cosmetics (such as personal
care products), manufacturers must list ingredients on the label, but they can
include the general term "fragrance" or "parfum" rather than list the ingredients in
the fragrance. More generally, no law requires the disclosure of any ingredients in
a "fragrance" in any product 4 .

We found some other surprising results: Nearly half of the fragranced products
emitted one or more carcinogenic "hazardous air pollutants" (1,4-dioxane,
acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and methylene chloride), which have no safe
exposure level, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Further,
even if a product doesn't contain hazardous chemicals, it can generate them. For
instance, the most common chemical emitted from these products was limonene,
which reacts with ozone in surrounding air to create a range of potentially
hazardous secondary pollutants, such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and
ultrafine particles 5 .

What can consumers do? They can use basic products to clean, such as baking
soda and vinegar, and use products without any fragrance or scent. Consumers
can also use direct approaches to improve indoor air quality, such as opening a
window or turning on a fan, rather than using air fresheners or deodorizers (which
do not clean the air, but only mask a problem and worsen air quality). It also
helps to be skeptical when reading labels and MSDSs. They may list only some
ingredients, if any. (Even products called "unscented" or "fragrance-free" can
contain a fragrance, as well as a masking fragrance to cover the scent.) And
don't be misled by product claims of "green," "organic," or "natural fragrance."
Those terms are not regulated or defined, and these products can emit toxic
chemicals just like other brands.

I continue my quest to figure out what's in these products and why they make
people sick. Is it because of individual ingredients, mixtures, or both? Is it
because an ingredient is synthetic rather than truly natural? Is it because these
chemicals are found in mixtures not known to nature? More broadly, what is the
impact of using these products on the environment, such as laundry-product
chemicals that are vented outside or washed down the drain? Investigating these
questions can improve our understanding of the links between environmental
exposures and health, and can help us develop criteria for product testing and
safety. In the meantime, as research moves forward, we can take action to
reduce exposures. The David Suzuki Foundation provides important
recommendations and clear guidelines to get you started.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/docs-talk/2011/02/hazards-are-hiding-in-fragranced-consumer-products/[4/4/2011 6:44:36 PM]

Hazards are hiding in fragranced consumer products | Docs Talk | David Suzuki Foundation

Anne Steinemann is a professor of civil and

environmental engineering, and professor of public
affairs, at the University of Washington. Dr.
Steinemann conducts research on pollutant
exposures, consumer-product emissions, health
impacts, climate change, and resources
management. She works with agencies, industries,
and individuals, providing science for decisions to
protect human health and the environment. More
information can be found on her website.

1 Caress SM, Steinemann, AC. Prevalence of fragrance sensitivity in the

American population. J Environ Health 71(7):46-50, 2009.

2 We focused our analysis on VOCs; other product ingredients and pollutants

(such as semi-volatile organic compounds and ultrafine particles) could also be

emitted by the products.

3 Steinemann AC, MacGregor IM, Gordon SM, Gallagher LG, Davis AL, Ribeiro

DS, and Wallace LA. Fragranced Consumer Products: Chemicals Emitted,

Ingredients Unlisted. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2010.

4 Steinemann AC. Fragranced Consumer Products and Undisclosed Ingredients.

Environmental Impact Assessment Review 29(1): 32-38, 2009.

5 Nazaroff WW, Weschler CJ. Cleaning products and air fresheners: exposure to

primary and secondary air pollutants. Atmos Environ 38(18):2841-65, 2004.

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10 Comments
Feb 11, 2011 Delores Broten says...
10:26 AM
Wonderful work — I am SO sick of getting sick just because someone walks past
me….. It is time for a culture shift.

Feb 14, 2011 Judy Wigmore says...

10:02 AM
In 2006 we withdrew our daughter from regular high school because of
anaphylaxis to VOCs in scented products. The male cologne, Axe, destroyed her
immune system in Sept 2004.

Great that more info is being shared on these invisible hazards. There seems to
be more awareness that scented products are a real health problem. Even better,
our daughter is excelling in second year university in sciences (wears canister
mask for labs). Thanks again for providing education on this important public
health issue from a mom in Kamloops. BC

Feb 14, 2011 Kim says...

1:02 PM
If you just told me which products meet your qualifications, I’d choose them.

Feb 14, 2011 Rachel says...

1:27 PM
Another good reason to only use personal care producst that are certified organic
or natural. Look for USDA seal or the European BDIH seal on products. All
fragrances from these products are from essential oils. (Don’t be fooled by
‘fauxganics’ — putting the word ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ on a label is pretty much
meaningless without 3rd party certification.)

Feb 14, 2011 Erika Rathje says...

1:28 PM
@Kim: Check out the Skin Deep Database — it’s a great resource.

I’m looking forward to not suffering anymore once this issue becomes widely
known and proper regulations implemented. I get reactions on transit, from my
neighbour’s laundry products and from public washroom soaps. It’s actually
painful and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, I have to ask a friend to reexamine his
products because his fragrance sticks to my clothes when I hug him and I find it
unbearable.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/docs-talk/2011/02/hazards-are-hiding-in-fragranced-consumer-products/[4/4/2011 6:44:36 PM]

Hazards are hiding in fragranced consumer products | Docs Talk | David Suzuki Foundation

When I was a kid and had to walk through the cleaning aisle in a store, I’d hold
my breath. One day as an adult, I walked through one and realised just why: it
stinks of toxics!

Feb 14, 2011 Philip Aubin says...

4:47 PM
Hi! Have had allergy problems since a young age (74 now) and can’t use
shampoos and soaps, even non-scented ones. Since my daughter recomended
Neutrogena soap about three years ago, have reduced my allergy reactions
(especially after showering). Would still like to know what is in that soap. It lists
many ingredients but most mean nothing to me. Keep up the good work!

Feb 16, 2011 Leane, David Suzuki Foundation Volunteer says...

10:52 AM
Thanks everyone for your comments — great to see Canadians are interested in
these issues. Over 5000 people have already signed our Action Alert letter
addressed to our Minister of Health, Hon. Leona Aglukkaq, demanding that
companies disclose fragrance ingredients. If you haven’t already, please check it
out at http://action.davidsuzuki.org/parfum — and share the link within your
networks!

Feb 16, 2011 alison says...

11:16 AM
someone mentioned cosmeticdatabase.com already. such a GREAT site!!

two other’s i’d like to share:

cheekycosmetics.com and backtoearthenviroproducts.com

both are wonderful products and natural. back to earth doesn’t have a lot on her
site, more in her store, found in lavington (coldstream/vernon). save your jars and
she’ll refill them for you!

i’ve never had insane allergies, but i used to have an on going cut by my nose
and a stubborn pregnancy rash my doctor told me needed steroid antibiotics.
when i switched to these bc local brands, both symptoms cleared up! definitely
worth the research for your health and your family’s!!

Feb 17, 2011 TPR says...

7:21 PM
It is great to see that some in the scientific community see that some chemicals
are hazardous for our health, and the environment. Maybe if we can’t get people
to stop wearing these products for our health, they might care about the frogs
and other creatures who are losing the battle due to our misuse of the world we
live in. These chemicals soak into our skin and make us sick, but they also make
the natural hormone cycles of some animals so sick that they may not make it to
another generation. Let’s clean up our act for ourselves and the animals we
share this planet with.

Mar 06, 2011 marie derikozis says...

7:48 PM
all of this information is so so important to me. i have 4 growing girls and pets. im
always reading labels with everything i buy.i dont like that it can be so tricky.i
prefer to use nontoxic everything,without overspending what r some names that i
can loook for when shopping for laundry, dish detergent,deodrant etc. i seem to
be on a constant search. we have arranged our meals to me more meatless and
prefer local.. we drive less and walk and bike more.im always looking for ways to
improve the life of my family and make this lifestyle the way it should have

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/docs-talk/2011/02/hazards-are-hiding-in-fragranced-consumer-products/[4/4/2011 6:44:36 PM]

Hazards are hiding in fragranced consumer products | Docs Talk | David Suzuki Foundation

always been.thanks so much for all this reading material it is a great help!

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