Poorva Chavan
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Written By: Poorva Chavan | Published : June 3, 2015 6:30 AM IST
All of us want a clean and fresh smelling home. We hardly think twice before reaching out for that can of air freshener. While our homes are temporarily fresh and odour free, we don't realise the health risks that we invite by spraying these air fresheners. Other cleaning products along with air fresheners can also poison your home.
How do air fresheners work?
Air fresheners in the form of sprays are bottled in metal cans and contain particles that either mask the odour or adsorb the odour. These sprays are full of chemicals like volatile organic components (VOCs) that pollute the air inside your house and also increase your risk of respiratory and other diseases if you use them frequently. A study claimed that daily use of air fresheners worsens the air quality inside your house making you prone to a variety of illnesses.1
Not only aerosol air fresheners, but incense sticks also pose various health risks.
How air fresheners affect your health:
1 May affect reproductive development: Air fresheners contain phthalates that disrupt the hormonal balance in the body and are dangerous for children and fetuses. Phthalates are known to affect testosterone levels that can lead to abnormalities in the reproductive system including abnormal genitalia and reduced sperm count.2
2 Can irritate your lungs: Chemicals in air fresheners are known to irritate lungs and decrease the air inflow.3 A study also reported that conditions like asthma are worsened when people are exposed to air fresheners. It also reported that 20 percent people experienced headaches, breathing difficulties.4
3 Can cause sensory irritation: Continuous exposure to air fresheners can lead to irritation of eyes, nasal passages and at times can trigger skin rashes.3
How to get rid of odours inside your house?
Ventilation is the best solution to get rid of musty odours. So open your doors and windows and let some fresh air in.
Image source: Shutterstock
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References:
1. Jinno H, Tanaka-Kagawa T, Obama T, Miyagawa M, Yoshikawa J, Komatsu K,Tokunaga H. [Impact of air fresheners and deodorizers on the indoor total volatile organic compounds]. Kokuritsu Iyakuhin Shokuhin Eisei Kenkyusho Hokoku. 2007;(125):72-8. Japanese. PubMed PMID: 18220049.
2. Common Air Fresheners Contain Chemicals That May Affect Human Reproductive Development-NRDC
3. Anderson RC, Anderson JH. Toxic effects of air freshener emissions. Arch Environ Health. 1997 Nov-Dec;52(6):433-41. PubMed PMID: 9541364
4. Caress, S.M., and Steinemann, A.C. "National Prevalence of fragrance sensitivity." J Environ Health 2009;71(7):46-50.
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