http://www.care2.com/greenliving/air-fresheners-easy-greening.html
Air Fresheners: Easy Greening
By Melissa Breyer, Producer, Care2 Green Living.
The obsession for “fresh” smelling air is skyrocketing. Americans are expected to spend 1.72 billion dollars on air fresheners this year—that’s enough money to buy 82,100 brand new Toyota Prius cars. Air fresheners can provide pleasant smell associations, disguise bad odors, and just make us feel warm and woozy. And itchy and congested and achy and occasionally even convulsive and comatose. Here’s what you need to know about the dangers of air fresheners and tips for living without them.
The craze for air fresheners is rapidly expanding and is even infiltrating the tween and teen demographic with new products being designed to entice the 8 to 18 set. One fun and flirty plug-in comes in girl-friendly flavors and provides a light show. All the more disturbing when one considers a study by the University of Bristol called Children Of The 90s (Alspac), which has followed the health and development of 14,000 children since before birth.
The study didn’t analyze the ingredients in air fresheners, just the effects: 32 percent more babies suffered diarrhea in homes where air fresheners were used every day, compared with homes where they were used once a week or less, and they had significantly more earaches in these homes as well. Air fresheners also affected mothers—those who used them daily suffered nearly 10 percent more headaches. Perhaps most surprising is the finding that women who lived in homes with daily air freshener use had a 26 percent increased risk of depression.
Just one whiff of the thick synthetic-smelling perfume of an air freshener leaves me thinking “run away!” But could the ingredients in them really be all that bad? Amid all of the Internet chatter about the dangers of commercial air fresheners is this gem of a study by the California Air Resources Board entitled “Indoor Air Chemistry: Cleaning Agents, Ozone and Toxic Air Contaminants.” (And you too can read all 183 pages of it right here. The study comprised exacting analysis of 21 widely available products from ten large chain store retailers in California. The products included a range of household cleaners and plug-in air fresheners.
The conclusion of the study was that the use of some air fresheners can produce toxic pollutants when used in the presence of ozone (a form of oxygen). Even minimal ozone concentrations were enough to drive significant indoor chemistry. When the chemicals emitted from the air-fresheners are combined with ozone, pollutants of serious health concern are produced. These include formaldehyde (a known human carcinogen and a respiratory irritant with a very low threshold for health effects) and ultrafine pollutant particles. Also of concern is the production of acetaldehyde, organic acids, other oxygenated intermediates, hydrogen peroxide, secondary organic aerosol, and hydroxyl radicals.
Of all of the products studied, air fresheners were the worst offenders. The most serious problems occur when the terpines in the air fresheners mix with ozone. Ozone enters indoor environments with outdoor air and is generally present indoors at levels that are up to 50 percent of outdoor levels. Ozone also may be introduced by indoor sources including devices designed to generate ozone for air purification, air cleaners generating ozone as a byproduct of ionization, and some photocopiers and printers. According to the California Air Resources Board, air cleaners or air “purifiers” that intentionally produce ozone should never be used; they emit very high levels of ozone, a reactive gas that may harm human health.
So what can you do?
Watch Your Ozone
Don’t use air fresheners advertised as pine- or lemon-scented, especially during high outdoor pollution days.
For ozone forecasts, visit Air Now . This is a great government sponsored website all about air quality.
When using cleaning products, avoid the use of indoor air cleaning devices such as
electrostatic precipitators and ionizers that can emit ozone.
Remove bad odors instead of masking them
Open windows.
Clean the source of the odor with non-toxic products.
Empty the garbage frequently.
Burn 100 percent pure beeswax candles with 100 percent cotton wicks—they purify and clean the air.
Use an open box of baking soda for smelly rooms.
Use indoor plants to clear carbon dioxide and other toxins.
Use green tea to refresh your home.
Perfume the air with natural scents
Simmer cinnamon and cloves, fresh ginger, or herbs in water on the stovetop.
Simmer water with a drop or two of your favorite pure essential oil.
Use organic sachets and potpourris.
Try these other homemade Home Sweeteners.
Annie B.
Melissa
Jana
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Eric
Andrew
Dave
Robyn
Deepak
49 comments
add your comment »Tiffani - re Yankee candles. They are full of chemically produced artificial fragrances, that should be more of a concern than the type of wax they are made of. www.GrassdancerEssences.com
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Candles should be a cause of concern also. They give off smoke similar to diesel fumes since candles are made from petroleum biproducts. Im surprised that no one has connectec a link to the rise in lung cancer of non smoking women with the rise in candle and air freshener use.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Interesting information. I don't use air fresheners because I can't afford them, it's good to know for once (with healthier food, furniture and clothing being more pricey) that I'm not missing out health wise.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Thanks for the info about air fresheners. Personally, I get physically sick when I smell them, and have always used natural fresh air or aromatherapy. Sure hope people become aware that these commercial air fresheners are more harmful to the environment and one's home. Thanks!!!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I use white vinegar as a room deodorizer. My former in laws were both smokers. They let us have the use of their home while they were traveling. I gathered up all the ashtrays and washed them really well. I set out small bowls of white vinegar, one on each window sill. After getting back from going shopping, we no longer smelled stale cigarette smoke.
When it was time for us to leave to return to our home, I refilled the bowls with more vinegar. It was funny when my mother-in-law asked what was the purpose of the vinegar. I felt no guilt whatsoever in telling her the truth.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Tiffani, I found this for you..... Candles have been used for thousands of years to create ambiance, light, warmth, and fragrance. Most candles are made of paraffin wax due to their cost effectiveness in using a petroleum by-product.
The main health concern with traditional paraffin wax candles is that the properties of paraffin wax, a derivative of crude oil, as well as the metal core wicks traditionally used are polluting our homes. The EPA states that indoor air quality is 3 times more polluted than outdoor air quality. Paraffin contributes substantially to the decline in indoor air quality and begs for a healthier alternative.
Choosing Soy
Soy has become the healthier alternative! In recent years, soy and vegetable wax has been culminated and implemented in candle development. Soy wax components are completely non-toxic, unlike its competitor, paraffin wax, which emits 11 toxins documented by the American Lung Association, 2 of which are known carcinogens–toluene and benzene.
Additionally, paraffin candles release petrol-carbon soot, which emanates from a burning candle damaging walls and furnishings. This soot penetrates not only furnishings, but air ducts as well, spreading fine particles of soot throughout the home. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage have been reported due to this petrol-carbon soot. Homeowner’s insurance companies are now investigating whether to cover the damage from soot produced by paraffin candles as mentioned on I
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I just wanted to ask about the toxicity of a super scented candle, like a Yankee candle, and is it truly better to use a soy bean candle? or are they all toxic a little?
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
We'll have to agree to disagree, Steve. But let me leave you with this quote from the Ozone in Air Pollution section in a well-researched article on ozone in Wikipedia : "A connection has also been shown to exist between increased ozone caused by thunderstorms and hospital admissions of asthma sufferers.” In the Physiology of Ozone section: "Ozone has been found to convert cholesterol in the blood stream to plaque (which causes hardening and narrowing of arteries). Moreover, it is believed that the powerful oxidizing properties of ozone may be a contributing factor of inflammation." In the same Wikipedia article you'll see ozone has many important roles to play in industry and health. The point is made that people still shouldn't breathe the stuff at the levels used. As for negative ions, I located lots of research supporting beneficial effects, including asthma. In my previous comment, I said negative ions may make asthmatics feel better. But any ozone produced by the ion generator would not be beneficial. Ozone irritates asthma. And, yes, I was only partially correct about ion generators and particulates. High density negative ions combine with positively charged particulates, turning them neg overall, which attracts other positively charged particulates, causing clumping. These clumps are too heavy to stay aloft. Some neg charged particles will stick to surfaces, though. Either way, it means more vacuuming and dusting, which allergy sufferers are probably willing to
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Brief: late hour. You speak from a stance of theory about the walls/ceilings getting coated. I have had a ozone generator that did have everything stick to the walls. The A/S does not do that, at least in the 3+ years? of my personal use. No theory just the facts. You want the names of the authors after you misquote the facts and don't offer your own backup? Go to the website and look it up. You spend the time. Con's AG compalining? So what. That is just one of 50 AG's. You putdown the observations of true asthmatics as not possible. Provide evidence of that. Your explanation of why the dust particles fall is specious and good imagination.
Steve
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Steve: The EPA just reduced the safety levels for ground level ozone. Connecticut's attorney general is complaining that the EPA didn't go far enough. Ozone outdoors or indoors is not healthy for human tissue. It is a potent oxidant. Negative ion generators are not a bad thing in and of themselves. Negative ions have a positive effect on mood. Positive ions, the opposite effect. The downside to negative ion generators is when they produce detectable levels of ozone. As for the small fan in the AirSource 3000, it's probably there just to circulate the negative ions and ozone. Also, particulates in the air don't get "heavier" when exposed to negative ions, they take on a negative charge, so they will stick to anything with a positive charge, including walls, ceilings, doors, floors, etc. So, the entire room will need to be vacuumed from floor to ceiling on a regular basis. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has done studies and has been trying to get filters that generate ozone off the market for years. Would you be so kind as to reply with the titles and authors of the independent studies you mentioned? I'd like to compare them to the government studies. Thanks. As for asthmatics feeling better around your filter, asthma is an inflammatory condition. Ozone is an oxidant, which causes inflammation. Maybe negative ions had an effect on these asthmatics' conditions. Ozone, even at very low levels, would still not be good for sensitive, inflamed tis
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?