NRDC cites concerns over air fresheners

If you typically try to cover up unpleasant odors inside your home with plug-in air fresheners or scented sprays, gels, and oils, you might want to reconsider using these products. Many of them contain phthalates, according to an issue paper recently released by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Phthalates, which dissolve and then carry the smell of fragrances, have been linked to hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive problems. Once these chemicals are released into the air, you can inhale them or they can land on your skin and be absorbed.

The NRDC, Sierra Club, the Alliance for Health Homes, and the National Center for Healthy Housing are petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to test all air fresheners on the market and assess the risks they might pose to consumers. "Because there are no labeling requirements and even ‘natural' products can contain toxic chemicals, it is virtually impossible for the average consumer to know which products may pose a risk," states the NRDC report, "Clearing the Air: Hidden Hazards of Air Fresheners."

The NRDC bought one sample of 14 different air fresheners at a major retailer in the San Francisco area and sent them to a commercial lab for testing. The products included Air Wick Scented Oil, Citrus Magic, Febreze Air Effects Air Refresher, Febreze NOTICEables Scented Oil, Glade Air Infusions, Glade PlugIn Scented Oil, Lysol Brand II Disinfectant, Oust Air Sanitizer Spray, Oust Fan Liquid Refills, Ozium Glycol-ized Air Sanitizer, Renuzit Subtle Effects, Walgreens Air Freshener Spray, Walgreens Scented Bouquet Air Freshener, and Walgreens Solid Air Freshener.

Except for Febreze Air Effects Air Refresher and Renuzit Subtle Effects, all of the products—including ones labeled "all-natural" and "unscented"—contained at least trace levels of phthalates. Walgreens has removed its air fresheners from its stores nationwide, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Chris Cathcart, president of the Consumer Specialty Products Association, a trade group that represents manufacturers of cleaners, disinfectants, and air fresheners, issued a statement calling the NRDC study "limited" and its conclusions "fatally flawed." It went on to say that the "generalizations about phthalates are irresponsible."

We'll keep you posted on the news related to phthalates and air fresheners. But remember, you don't have to rely on sprays, plug-ins, and the like to eliminate nasty odors from or add a pleasant aroma to your home.

You could, for instance, simmer a pot of water with a cinnamon stick or cloves tossed in to cover up an acrid smell in the kitchen. (Just remember to check the water level in the pot.) Click here to find out how to reduce your exposure to chemicals.—Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman

Essential information: Read "Take a whiff of this" to learn about the presence of phthalates in cosmetic fragrances. For information on Earth Day and greener living, visit our Earth Day Guide.