New Study on Toxic Chemicals in Fragrances, Laundry, Air Fresheners

[Guest guest]

I just saw this study. I posted it in my laundry room but not sure it

will do much good. Everybody uses triple or double strength detergents

*and* fabric softeners *and* bounce dryer sheets. I can't even find a

suitable used portable washer to sneak into my apartment, because

everybody uses fabric softener or scented detergents. Unbelievable!

Toxic Chemicals Found In Common Scented Laundry Products, Air Fresheners

ScienceDaily (July 24, 2008) — A University of Washington study of

top-selling laundry products and air fresheners found the products

emitted dozens of different chemicals. 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.

" I first got interested in this topic because people were telling me

that the air fresheners in public restrooms and the scent from laundry

products vented outdoors were making them sick, " said Anne Steinemann,

a UW professor of civil and environmental engineering and of public

affairs. " And I wanted to know, 'What's in these products that is

causing these effects?' "

She analyzed the products to discover the chemicals' identity.

" I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the

chemicals that were found, " Steinemann said. 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.

" Nearly 100 volatile organic compounds were emitted from these six

products, and none were listed on any product label. Plus, five of the

six products emitted one or more carcinogenic 'hazardous air

pollutants,' which are considered by the Environmental Protection

Agency to have no safe exposure level, " Steinemann said.

Her study was published online July23 by the journal Environmental

Impact Assessment Review. Steinemann chose not to disclose the brand

names of the six products she tested. In a larger study of 25

cleaners, personal care products, air fresheners and laundry products,

now submitted for publication, she found that many other brands

contained similar chemicals.

Because manufacturers of consumer products are not required to

disclose the ingredients, Steinemann analyzed the products to discover

their contents. She studied three common air fresheners (a solid

deodorizer disk, a liquid spray and a plug-in oil) and three laundry

products (a dryer sheet, fabric softener and a detergent), selecting a

top seller in each category. She bought household items at a grocery

store and asked companies for samples of industrial products.

In the laboratory, each product was placed in an isolated space at

room temperature and the surrounding air was analyzed for volatile

organic compounds, small molecules that evaporate from the product's

surface into the air.

Results showed 58 different volatile organic compounds above a

concentration of 300 micrograms per cubic meter, many of which were

present in more than one of the six products. For instance, 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. The product label lists no ingredients, and information

on the Material Safety Data Sheet, required for workplace handling of

chemicals, lists the contents as " mixture of perfume oils. "

This study does not address links between exposure to chemicals and

health effects. However, two national surveys published by Steinemann

and a colleague in 2004 and 2005 found that about 20 percent of the

population reported adverse health effects from air fresheners, and

about 10 percent complained of adverse effects from laundry products

vented to the outdoors. Among asthmatics such complaints were roughly

twice as common.

Manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients used in laundry

products and air fresheners. Personal-care products and cleaners often

contain similar fragrance chemicals, Steinemann said. And although

cosmetics are required by the Food and Drug Administration to list

ingredients, no law requires products of any kind to list chemicals

used in fragrances.

" Fragrance chemicals are of particular interest because of the

potential for involuntary exposure, or second-hand scents, " Steinemann

said.

" Be careful if you buy products with fragrance, because you really

don't know what's in them, " she added. " I'd like to see better

labeling. In the meantime, I'd recommend that instead of air

fresheners people use ventilation, and with laundry products, choose

fragrance-free versions. "

The European Union recently enacted legislation requiring products to

list 26 fragrance chemicals when they are present above a certain

concentration in cosmetic products and detergents. No similar laws

exist in the United States.

" I hope this study will raise public awareness, and reduce exposures

to potentially hazardous chemicals, " said Steinemann.