Air Deodorizers

Air fresheners are consumer products that mitigate unpleasant odors in indoor spaces. They can be in the form of candles, aerosol sprays, diffusers, potpourri, gels and mechanical or heat release products. Global retail sales of air care products were valued at more than $6 billion in 2006 and are forecast to reach $7.3 billion by 2010.

Air fresheners work in one of five ways:

1. Adsorption: Adsorbents like zeolite, activated charcoal or silica gel may be used to eliminate offending, chemical odors.
2. Anesthetization: Some air fresheners employ anesthetics to dull the sense of smell.
3. Chemical neutralization: Substances such as rubber or TEG may be used to neutralize odors.
4. Disinfection: Odors caused by bacterial activity can be eliminated by disinfectants like ozone, TEG, or bleaching agents containing hydrogen peroxide, chlorine or hypochlorites.
5. Masking: Many air fresheners obscure odors with a fragrance.

History

Fragrances have been used to mask odors since antiquity. A variety of compounds have been used over the past two millenia for their abilities to create pleasant aromas or eliminate unpleasant odors.

The first modern air freshener was introduced in 1948. Its function was based on a military technology for dispensing insecticides and adapted into a pressurized spray using a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellant. The product delivered a fine mist of fragrant compounds that would remain suspended in the air for an extended period of time. This type of product became the industry standard and air freshener sales experienced tremendous growth. In the 1950s, many companies began to add chemicals that counteract odors to their fragrance formulas. These chemicals, intended to neutralize or destroy odors, included unsaturated esters, pre-polymers, and long-chain aldehydes.

In the 1970s, the air freshener market shifted away from aerosols, due to concerns over the destruction of the ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Many other air freshener delivery methods have become popular since, including scented candles, reed diffusers, potpourri, and heat release products.

Ingredients

Basic ingredients in air fresheners typically include formaldehyde, aerosol propellant, petroleum distillates, and p-dichlorobenzene. Air freshener preparations often also include terpenes such as limonene. Aldehydes, ketones, esters, alcohols and other synthetic fragrances are also used. A report issued in 2005 by the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC) found that many air freshener products emit allergens and toxic air pollutants including benzene, formaldehyde, terpenes, styrene, phthalates, and toluene. Air fresheners may also contain phosphates, chlorine bleach, or ammonia.

Research at the University of California found that the prominent products of the reaction of terpenes found in air fresheners with ozone included formaldehyde, hydroxyl radical, and secondary organic aerosol.

Toxicity

Many air fresheners employ carcinogens, volatile organic compounds and known toxins such as phthalate esters in their formulas. A Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study of 13 common household air fresheners found that most of the surveyed products contain chemicals that can aggravate asthma and affect reproductive development. The NRDC called for more rigorous supervision of the manufacturers and their products, which are widely assumed to be safe:

The study assessed scented sprays, gels, and plug-in air fresheners. Independent lab testing confirmed the presence of phthalates, or hormone-disrupting chemicals that may pose a particular health risk to babies and young children, in 12 of the 14 products—including those marked 'all natural.' None of the products had these chemicals listed on their labels.

On September 19 , 2007 , along with the Sierra Club, Alliance for Healthy Homes, and the National Center for Healthy Housing]], the NRDC filed a petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to report the findings.

The University of Bristol's Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) published findings indicating that exposure to volatile organic compounds through frequent use of air fresheners and other aerosols in the home was found to correlate with increased earaches and diarrhea in infants, and with increased depression and headaches in their mothers.

In 2008, Anne Steinemann of the University of Washington published a study of top-selling air fresheners and laundry products. She found that all products tested gave off chemicals regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws, including carcinogens with no safe exposure level, but none of these chemicals were listed on any of the product labels or Material Safety Data Sheets. Chemicals included acetone, the active ingredient in paint thinner and nail-polish remover; chloromethane, a neurotoxicant and respiratory toxicant; and acetaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, both carcinogens. A plug-in air freshener contained more than 20 different volatile organic compounds, with more than one-third classified as toxic or hazardous under federal laws. Even air fresheners called "organic," "green," or with "essential oils" emitted hazardous chemicals, including carcinogens.

In 2009, Stanley M. Caress of the University of West Georgia and Anne C. Steinemann of the University of Washington published results from two national epidemiological studies of health effects from exposure to air fresheners. They found that nearly 20 percent of the general population and 34 percent of asthmatics report headaches, breathing difficulties, or other health problems when exposed to air fresheners or deodorizers.

Maintaining air quality

Removing the source of an unpleasant odor will decrease the chance that you will smell it. Ventilation is also important to maintaining indoor air quality and can aid in eliminating unpleasant odors. Simple cleaners such as white vinegar and baking soda are effective at removing odors naturally. Natural adsorbents, such as zeolite also help to remove unwanted odors. Some house plants may also aid in the removal of toxins from the air in building interiors.

See also

• Deodorant
• Incense
• Little trees
• Natural cleaning products
• Urinal deodorizer block

References

1. ^ How Products Are Made: Air Freshener
2. ^ Marketing Data: Air Care Market Overview, Global Cosmetic Industry
3. ^ Air Fresheners; TSCA Section 21 Petition, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
4. ^ Indoor Air Chemistry: Cleaning Agents, Ozone and Toxic Air Contaminants
5. ^ Common Air Fresheners Contain Chemicals That May Affect Human Reproductive Development
6. ^ Air Fresheners Unregulated, Potentially Dangerous, Group Says
7. ^ "Symptoms of mothers and infants related to total volatile organic compounds in household products" Arch Environ Health. 2003 Oct;58(10):633-41; PMID 15562635;
8. ^ Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Key Findings
9. ^ Steinemann, A.C. "Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients." Environ Impact Assess Rev 2009;29(1): 32-38.
10. ^ Caress, S.M., and Steinemann, A.C. "National prevalence of fragrance sensitivity." J Environ Health 2009;71(7):46-50.
11. ^ B.C. Wolverton, Ph.D., Rebecca C. McDonald, "Foliage Plants for Removing Formaldehyde from Contaminated Air Inside Energy-Efficient Homes and Future Space Stations", NASA TM-84674 , December 1982.
12. ^ B.C. Wolverton, Rebecca C. McDonald, E.A. Watkins, Jr., "Foliage Plants for Removing Indoor Air Pollutants from Energy-Efficient Homes" Economic Botany , 1984, pp. 224-228.

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