The fragranced products phenomenon: air quality and health, science and policy
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The fragranced products phenomenon: air quality and health, science and policy Anne Steinemann 1,2 Received: 26 August 2020 / Accepted: 31 August 2020 # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Fragrance is used in consumer products around the world. However, fragrance has been associated with adverse effects on indoor and outdoor air quality and human health. Questions arise, such as the following: Why does fragrance in products pose problems? What are sources of emissions and exposures? What are health and societal effects? What are possible solutions? This paper examines the issue of fragranced consumer products and its science and policy dimensions, with a focus on the implications for air quality and human health. Results include new findings and new questions for future research directions. Keywords Fragranced consumer products . Volatile organic compounds . Fragrance-free policies . Hazardous air pollutants . Indoor air quality . Outdoor air quality
Introduction Fragrance has been used for thousands of years, with the intent to create a more aesthetically pleasing environment and more popular consumer products. However, in recent years, fragrance in products has been associated with adverse effects on air quality and health, despite extensive tests for safety (IFRA 2020a). What is perplexing is why products designed to be positive may be creating unintended effects. As background, most of our exposure to pollutants occurs indoors. A primary source of indoor air pollutants is fragranced consumer products, such as air fresheners and cleaning supplies. Further, fragranced products have been implicated as a contributor to outdoor pollutants. However, indoor environments and fragranced product emissions are essentially unregulated. Also, fragranced product ingredients are not required to be fully and specifically disclosed, not on labels, safety data sheets, or elsewhere. Therefore, an important source of air pollutants and exposures is largely unregulated, and the emissions and ingredients are largely unknown.
* Anne Steinemann [email protected] 1
Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
2
College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4814, Australia
Yet exposures have been associated with a range of health problems, such as breathing difficulties and headaches, in nearly a third of the general population in four countries representing three continents. This paper analyzes and synthesizes data and research findings on the fragranced products phenomenon. A goal is to provide an integrated understanding of the scientific foundations and policy implications for air quality and health. To do so, it investigates the following questions: How prevalent is product use and exposure? What health problems are associated with exposure? What volatile ingredients are emitted from the products? Are ingredients disclosed? Are green, organic, and natural products any different? What strate
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