Published on December 10, 2014

Shocking but true, chemicals from cleaning and freshening products are extremely toxic and exposure over a long-term can have adverse effects on health like cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome and genetic disorders.

The increasing amount of unregulated toxic elements in air fresheners can have prolonged health problems. These products should ideally be tested thoroughly before being brought into the market. The cleaning industry currently has no regulations. Chemical firm do not need approval from any regulatory body before making their cleaning products available to the consumers.

Air freshener manufacturers are required to list ingredients that are known to cause cancer or reproductive problems and this is the only regulation that binds this industry. Common chemicals also have the potential to cause serious health issues but there is hardly any way to gauge the harm that can be caused by such compounds.

These products do not go through any safety testing and they have high levels of phthalates- a product that can be harmful to children. Phthalates can cause hormonal imbalance, impact testosterone levels and cause reproductive abnormalities and birth defects.

1,4-Dichlorobenzene is also commonly found in air fresheners, toilet fresheners and mothballs. This chemical is believed to cause lung damage, is a carcinogen and a pesticide. It has also resulted in increased rates of asthma and can even affect our sense of smell. This lack of smell is how these products deceive us into believing their efficacy, thus they only create an illusion of freshness. The user can smell the air freshener for a minute or so after it has been sprayed and then the nose cannot smell the fragrance anymore. The chemical damages the mucous membrane and it is extremely crucial to remember that whatever we inhale will be absorbed by our blood through our lungs.

Dichlorobenzene is one of the main ingredients of the nefarious pesticide DDT as well as DDE and DDD. Chlorine can disrupt the endocrine system by damaging hormones in our body and thus using air fresheners is synonymous with inhaling small amounts with DDT.

Residues of such harmful compounds can have severe impact on wildlife as well as on humans. Some fragrances can even alter blood flow, mood, blood pressure and cause migraine headaches. Air fresheners are considered to be a major trigger in causing asthma attacks. Majority of the artificial fragrances are respiratory irritants and result in inflammation in the lungs, increased mucous production and greater susceptibility to chemicals, allergens and infections. The chemicals released by air fresheners accumulate in fatty tissues, making fat loss extremely difficult. 

Approximately 95 per cent of artificial fragrances are produced from petroleum, including benzene and aldehydes, which can cause cancer and reproductive harm.

Air freshener manufacturers who use phthalates do not mention this on their product labels and this goes against the moral responsibility of a manufacturer. However, we as consumers should become more aware and work on improving ventilation systems at their homes to dilute these toxins as much as possible.