musks as a neurotoxin

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Subj: [HEALTHE] Fragrance chemicals as an environmental concern

Date: 3/28/99 6:51:30 PM Central Standard Time

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Toledo Blade, March 24, 1999

Synthetic musk linked to environmental risks

BY MICHAEL WOODS

BLADE SCIENCE EDITOR

"

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Synthetic fragrances used in perfumes, soaps,

laundry detergents, fabric softeners, cosmetics, and scores of

other consumer products have become a new and unexpected group of

environmental contaminants, scientists said.

The chemicals are accumulating in human fat tissue, blood, breast

milk, drinking water supplies, lakes and streams, fish and

wildlife, and elsewhere in the environment, according to

scientists interviewed here. They are presenting scientific

reports at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. "

Article can be accessed :

http://www.toledoblade.com/editorial/health/9c24musk.htm

Synthetic musks are particularly of concern because they have

such a poor history of safety. AETT was used by the industry for

30 years before it was found to turn the internal organs of mice

blue and be severely neurotoxic. Musk ambrette was in use even

longer and was found to be neurotoxic. Musk Ambrette was still

found in products 5 years after the fragrance industry

" voluntarily " withdrew it from use.

Synthetic musk compounds are often used in relatively high levels

in a fragrance formula. In spite of history and past concerns

very little safety data is available concerning neurological

effects of these and other fragrance chemicals.

One more very troublesome aspect of the widespread use of

fragranced products is the use of plasticizers in perfumes.

Diethyl phthalate CAS #: 84-66-2 composed over 10% of a

perfume formula that I had analyzed. Since this is not a very

volatile material, it stays on the skin rather than evaporating.

I am sure it ends up in the waterways too from laundry products,

shampoos, etc.

These are only a few of the concerns associated with fragrances.

Thus far the industry has done little to address them. There is a

fairly new web site that was put up by Scented Products Education

and Information Association of Canada (SPEIAC). This site

addresses only the controversy over Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

and scented products. It does not address well documented

concerns over fragrances' effects on asthma, allergies,

migraines, respiratory disease, or the environment.

http://www.scentedproducts.on.ca/

Anyone interested in concerns about the safety of fragranced

products may e-mail me for information.

*Peace and Light*

The Health and Environment Round-Table

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Subject: [HEALTHE] Fragrance chemicals as an environmental concern

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