Air freshener

Air fresheners are consumer products that mitigate unpleasant odors in indoor spaces. Such odors may include those given off by candles, aerosol sprays, potpourri and gels. ^[1]

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They work in one of five ways:

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

Criticism

A Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study of 14 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, the NRDC, along with the Sierra Club, Alliance for Healthy Homes, and the National Center for Healthy Housing filed a petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to report the findings.^[2]

See also

• Deodorant
• Little Trees
• Natural Cleaning Products

References