Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients

[Guest guest]

 

 

Anne C. Steinemann, 

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Public

Affairs, University of Washington, United States

 

Available online 10 July 2008.

 

Abstract

 

Fragranced consumer products—such as air fresheners, laundry supplies, personal

care products, and cleaners—are widely used in homes, businesses, institutions,

and public places. While prevalent, these products can contain chemicals that

are not disclosed to the public through product labels or material safety data

sheets (MSDSs). What are some of these chemicals and what limits their

disclosure? This article investigates these questions, and brings new pieces of

evidence to the science, health, and policy puzzle. Results from a regulatory

analysis, coupled with a chemical analysis of six best-selling products (three

air fresheners and three laundry supplies), provide several findings. First, no

law in the U.S. requires disclosure of all chemical ingredients in consumer

products or in fragrances. Second, in these six products, nearly 100 volatile

organic compounds (VOCs) were identified, but none of the VOCs were listed on

any product label, and one

was listed on one MSDS. Third, of these identified VOCs, ten are regulated as

toxic or hazardous under federal laws, with three (acetaldehyde, chloromethane,

and 1,4-dioxane) classified as Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs). Results point to

a need for improved understanding of product constituents and mechanisms between

exposures and effects.

 

 

http://tinyurl.com/649446