Fresh Air?
America stinks, or at least that might be the impression space aliens would get from all the commercials for air fresheners. The grand dame, Lysol, which was reserved for keeping at bay the germs of whomever was sick in the house, has seen some major muscle move into the industry in the last few decades. Consumers might even find it difficult to find the original product as the disinfectant now comes in a variety of fragrances. The search to find that special smell which will reflect our personalities, calm nerves, or just mask stinky odors, has led to a multi billion dollars industry of sprays, plug-ins, and candles, with many unaware that the industry is loosely regulated.
A report released last September would be of particular interest to parents seeking to mask the odor of that diaper genie sitting in the nursery. The NRDC found most contain chemicals that may affect hormones and reproductive development, particularly in baby boys. Of the 14 brands tested, which included some marketed as all natural, they found only two which did not contain toxic phthalates, often used to soften plastic: Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects, contained no detectable levels of phthalates. “Manufacturers are getting away with marketing products as ‘natural’ when they’re not, and that’s because no one is stopping them,” said Mae Wu, an attorney in NRDC’s health program. “Our research suggests this could be a widespread problem in a booming industry that – so far – has been allowed to do what it wants.”
Those folks who continue to smoke are also at an added disadvantage. As public smoking becomes more restrictive, people are smoking in their cars more often and masking the stale smell with air fresheners. Doctors in Germany issued a warning last year to people who smoke in their cars and use an air freshener, stating there is a greatly increased risk of cancer due to a dangerous chemical interaction between the cigarette smoke and the car air freshener scents. The cancer these people are at an especially increased risk of developing is the cancer of the mouth, throat, and larynx.
In response to the 2007 NRDC report, a major U.S. retailer removed several air fresheners from their stores’ shelves; and, the company that made the fresheners also agreed it would no longer use phthalates in the manufacturing process. Twelve European countries have banned them from children’s toys, and the U.S. Congress has just recently lowered the acceptable levels of six different phalates. A 2008 study backed up NRDC’s findings, but stated that further research is required on the subject which has experienced little scrutiny. The concern over the phthalates in air fresheners need to be looked at in conjunction with many other products that consumers might use such as cosmetics, fragrances, plastics and paints.
The nose knows is being proven by science that has begun to take a greater interest in human olfactory powers. Studying memory loss, scientist learn how the brain can recreate a memory, a feeling, based on a sense of smell. Like the sense of touch, hearing and seeing, smelling cares its own unique methodology for delivering the data to our brain. Almost everyone can recall a particular smell that stands out with a strong memory from their past. Perhaps the smell of bacon cooking on a Sunday morning, the smell of gasoline working on a car, and the summer time favorite–the smell of fresh cut grass. Many reports indicate that air fresheners continue to contain some type of nerve numbing agent for the interior of the nose. One air freshening brand, trying to be helpful, suggests, “Your nose could become numb to the smell, so if you feel you don’t smell the fragrance anymore, you need to switch it up. Particularly if your friends and neighbors smell the fragrance and you don’t.”
For those interested in making their own home air fresheners, try boiling spices like cinnamon in a little bit of water releases its fragrance. Essential oils, like lemon or orange, diluted in water can also be used as a spray freshener; or, adding oils to a bowl of water, which adds moisture to dry air during winter months,is another beneficial method. Aromatherapy diffusers are safer than burning paraffin candles, which contain VOCs which, either organic or artificial, may pose a health risk. Soy or beeswax candles offer natural waxes that can be burned to release pleasant fragrances.