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Understand the dangers associated with the synthetic environment flavoring and learn how to prevent

You've probably already looked for a product with the purpose of perfuming the interior of your home or, at least, you must have already felt a pleasant smell of fragrances when entering a store. These are the famous room aromatizers.

These products seek to create a more pleasant climate indoors, whether exhaling a scented mixture in the room or disguising any existing air quality problem (usually in the bathroom). The room aromatizer can be found in different versions, including aerosol, gel, oil, liquid and even as a scented candle, and it can be of the type with instantaneous, intermittent or continuous release.

Thanks to the known effects, flavorings are widely used in various places, such as offices, cars, homes, bathrooms, hotels and even in hospitals. But despite their popularity, the use of these air purifiers can emit harmful and polluting compounds, and thus trigger adverse effects on human health and air quality.

Compounds emitted by the room aromatizer

Studies carried out by the University of California found that the synthetic ambient aromatizer emits more than 100 different chemical compounds, many of which are toxic. The most dangerous on this list are volatile organic compounds, such as benzene and formaldehyde, known as VOCs (the acronym in English) and which can cause everything from headaches to damage to the liver and central nervous system. Read more about VOCs in the article: "VOCs: Learn what volatile organic compounds are, their risks and how to avoid them".

Synthetic ambient aromatizer also releases some semi-volatile organic compounds, such as phthalates, which are associated with the emergence of breast cancer, hormonal dysregulation and decreased male fertility. Learn more about these compounds in: "Phthalates: what they are, what are their risks and how to prevent it".

These emissions can also end up reacting with oxidants in the environment, such as ozone (O3) and nitrate radicals (NO3), generating a series of oxidation products. For example, primary emissions such as terpenes can quickly react with ozone and generate secondary pollutants such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, free radicals, and ultrafine particles - read more about primary and secondary pollutants in "Learn about air pollutants and its effects". Thus, these flavoring products can contribute to human exposure to varied and complex air pollutants.

After several studies on room aromatizers, a revealing result was obtained that should transform the way we use and relate to these products. Among the various types of ambient aromatizers observed, such as spray, solids, liquids and oils, the analyzes and results indicated that practically all of these types have the potential to emit high concentrations of volatile organic compounds, including products considered to be organic and natural (like some essential oils).

Essential oils can also contain parabens as a converse (learn more about parabens here), and compounds such as ethoxylated nonylphenol, which acts as an emulsifier in order to homogenize aromatic mixtures.

Thus, it was proven that the ingredients contained in fragrance mixtures are probably more influential on pollutant emissions than the type of dispersion mechanism chosen (be they aerosols or essential oils, for example).

Risks to human health

Exposure to ambient aromatizers, even at low levels, is associated with several symptoms and harmful effects on human health. Among them, breathing difficulties, migraines, asthma attacks, mucous symptoms, dermatitis, diarrhea and childhood earache, neurological problems, cognitive problems and cardiovascular problems stand out.

Previous studies have also revealed that if people exposed to these products are asthmatic, their chances of developing other symptoms as a result of contact with an ambient aromatizer, such as migraines and breathing difficulties, are even greater.

In addition, specific chemical compounds present in the composition and emitted by air purifiers (such as acetaldehyde, phthalates and ultrafine particles) have been linked to cancer cases and adverse effects on the human neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, immune and endocrine systems .

For example, acetaldehyde can be disposed of in the environment through both primary and secondary emission of these products. This compound is linked to serious risks to the respiratory system and, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), is classified as a potentially carcinogenic contaminant.

Another example is ethoxylated nonylphenol. This compound can also be present in the ambient aromatizer and is recognized worldwide as a potential endocrine disruptor.

As epidemiological and toxicity studies reveal links between aromatizer emissions from the environment and adverse health impacts, more detailed research is needed to understand how and why individual ingredients, ingredient mixtures or secondary reaction products may be associated with such effects.

In addition, studies are also needed to better understand the consequences of low-level exposures particularly for vulnerable and sensitive populations such as asthmatics and children.

Is disclosure of all ingredients mandatory?

The disclosure of chemicals contained in the aromatizer environments is not legally mandatory and, therefore, most of the times these components are not specified by the manufacturers. No law in the US, European Union or Brazil requires the disclosure of all ingredients contained in air fresheners. And, there is also no law that requires the specification of all components present in the 'fragrance' of a product, as fragrance is usually a mixture of a large amount of chemical compounds.

Based on studies that analyzed emissions of phthalates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air fresheners, including those marketed as 'all natural' and 'organic', none of the products tested listed phthalates on their labels. It was also found that only a small amount of the issued VOCs were disclosed on the product label or material safety report.

The ingredients listed in these products seem to want to convey general or neutral information, and components such as "fragrances", "essential oils", "water", "organic perfume" or "quality control ingredients" are used to classify them.

Do 'natural' and 'synthetic' products differ in emissions?

Tests comparing emissions between different types of room purifiers, from aerosol sprays to those with more natural claims of 'essential oils', 'organic' or 'non-toxic', revealed that all products tested emitted potentially hazardous compounds. Thus, emissions of potentially carcinogenic and hazardous air pollutants through 'more natural' flavorings were not as different, in types or concentrations, from regular synthetic brands.

Although some aromatic essences are considered natural, industrialized ambient flavoring may contain a variety of other ingredients in its base, such as petrochemical solvents or emulsifiers, and these in turn are not recognized as natural. In addition, apparently natural fragrances such as essential oils can emit and generate hazardous pollutants such as formaldehyde and ultra-fine secondary organic aerosols, bringing potential health risks.

The issue of involuntary exposure

People are exposed to ambient flavorings through voluntary use, such as in private homes, and also through involuntary use, such as in public places. In this context, involuntary exposure is of particular concern because individuals may experience adverse effects without prior agreement or awareness.

In addition to the health risks, this involuntary exposure can also make it impossible for the most vulnerable people to access certain places in society and work environments.

Individuals with asthma conditions or children can experience harmful and often immediate effects when in contact with room aromatizers, restricting their access to public places that use these products.

Alternatives

The use of an air freshener can create or exacerbate an air quality problem by adding a chemical mixture to the room, as a product's fragrance is not intended to clean the air or reduce pollutants in the room.

Therefore, reducing or eliminating the sources of these chemical elements is the easiest and most direct way to reduce the levels of pollutants in closed spaces and the risks of human exposure to the harmful compounds emitted by most of the aromatizers in the environment.

Thus, if an indoor environment has unwanted odors, removing the source of this bad smell or increasing the room's ventilation (opening windows or using an exhaust fan) are ways to avoid the use of harmful products that end up masking the problem instead to effectively solve it.

But if you like the pleasant feeling of aromas and fragrances in your home, the eCycle portal have some really natural and sustainable alternatives to perfume their environments. Check out the article: "Do it yourself: natural flavorings". We also teach you some homemade recipes for you to prepare your own aromatic essence with more natural and reliable products: "Learn how to make your own aromatic essence".

And in case you are experiencing unwanted odor problems in your home, we also teach you a natural recipe for a homemade air deodorizer: "Do it yourself: air deodorizer".