Pull the plug on air "fresheners "

The name is misleading; they should be called "air polluters."

The Environmental Protection Agency tested plug-in air fresheners that automatically release chemicals into a room. Seventh Generation, a manufacturer of natural consumer products, describes the results of the test:

"These fragrance compounds include substances called pinene and limonene. Scientists found that pinene and limonene easily react with ozone, a common air pollutant, to create formaldehyde and a variety of related chemicals that have been implicated in respiratory conditions. While ozone is a valuable component of the upper atmosphere (where it shields the earth's surface from harmful solar radiation), at ground level it's considered a pollutant.

"Indoor air quality experts recommend against using air fresheners or room deodorizers of any kind. In general, these products use chemicals to cover up odors, and in some cases even reduce the ability of the nose to smell… Toxins found in air fresheners and room deodorizers include naphthalene, phenol, cresol, dichlorobenzene, and xylene. These and other air freshener chemicals have been implicated in cancer, neurological damage, reproductive and developmental disorders, and other conditions."

What can you use in place of air fresheners?

"Keep your home's air smelling fresh by identifying and removing the sources of any bad odors" Seventh Generation suggests. "Use natural minerals like baking soda and borax to control common odor sources like trash cans and to deodorize when you clean. Keep windows open as much as possible to let bad air out and good air in. If odors are still troubling, invest in an air purifier with activated carbon filtration, a strategy that can remove odors." Air purifiers that create ozone are not recommended.

Asthma and 1,4-DCB

A recent study from the National Institutes of Health has reported that a chemical used in air fresheners - 1,4-dichlorobenzene - can cause a small reduction in lung function. The chemical is also found in mothballs, tobacco smoke and toilet bowl deodorizers.

Commercial cleaners can also cause problems

In addition to air fresheners, some cleaning products can mix with ozone to create pollutants inside the home. The California Air Resources Board sponsored a four-year study to examine the problem of indoor air pollution. The UC Berkeley research team found that among the worst offenders are solvents known as "ethylene-based glycol ethers" and a group of chemicals called "terpenes," found in pine, lemon and orange oils. When the terpenes combined with ozone they formed formaldehyde, which is classified as a carcinogen (cancer causing agent). Formaldehyde is also found in plywood and pressed wood products, glues, some carpets, some fragrances, and insulation and it is released when tobacco burns. The researchers recommend that if products with these chemicals are used, you should keep rooms ventilated, and consider using diluted solutions. Professional cleaners who use such products may be at particular risk.

Perfumes, another stinky offender

Whether you breathe them in or swallow them, synthetic chemicals - especially those made from petroleum - can trigger behavior, learning and health problems. Ninety-five percent of fragrances are synthetic compounds made from petroleum products, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association. Despite their pretty names, perfumes can be made with chemicals classified as hazardous waste disposal chemicals: methyl chloride, toluene and ethanol. They are made to be "volatile," which means they stay in the air and are easily inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

Some of the problems that can be caused by fragrances include skin irritation, rashes and headaches. More serious reactions are vertigo, nausea and vomiting, kidney or liver damage, blood pressure changes, nervous system changes, respiratory problems including difficulty breathing. Feingold parents have seen their children experience difficulty doing school work and have identified behavioral reactions after being exposed to fragrances.

What chemicals are used in air fresheners and plug-ins?

An organization called The Global Campaign for Recognition of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (www .mcs-global.org) has published a pamphlet called "Let's Clear the Air about Air Fresheners and Plug-Ins." They list the following ingredients used in these products, and some of their potential side effects:

Benzyl Alcohol - can bring about headaches, upper respiratory irritation, depressed central nervous system, drop in blood pressure, nausea and vomiting

Camphor - on the Environmental Protection Agency's list of hazardous waste products, readily absorbed through body tissue, can cause dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles and convulsions

Dichlorobenzene - extremely toxic" a central nervous system depressant, kidney & liver poison, long-lasting in the environment and stored in body fat

Ethanol - derived from petroleum, cancer causing and toxic to the skin, respiratory, cardiovascular, develop- mental, Endocrine, neurological and gastrointestinal systems

Formaldehyde - toxic if inhaled and poisonous if swallowed, cancer causing

Limonene - cancer causing, damaging if inhaled

Naphthalene - cancer causing agent that accumulates in waters and marine life, alters kidney function, causes cataracts, is poisonous if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin

Phenol - can cause skin to swell, burn, peel and break out in hives; can cause convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma and death

Pinene -- flammable, may be absorbed through the skin, very destructive of mucous membranes

Pure Facts/February 2007

The Feingold@ Association of the United States, Inc., founded in 1976, is a non-profit organization whose purposes are to support its members in the implementation of the Feingold Program and to generate public awareness of the potential role of foods and synthetic additives in behavior, learning and health problems. The program is based on a diet eliminating synthetic colors, synthetic flavors, aspartame, and the preservatives BHA, BHT and TBHQ.