May 2019
VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND AIR FRESHENERS
Contributors: Juan Reynoso, MPH/MUP, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Parichehr Salimifard, PhD, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
What are volatile organic compounds?
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a diverse set of chemicals, liquids and solids, that can evaporate under ordinary atmospheric conditions. 1,2 Some commonly known and used VOCs include acetone3, benzene 4, and formaldehyde. 5 VOCs are highly reactive; therefore, besides themselves being primary pollutants, they can also react with oxidants such as ozone
and hydroxyl and nitrate radicals and produce secondary pollutants such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glycol ethers, free radicals, and particles.
Concentrations of VOCs in indoor environments are consistently higher than outdoors, and
elevated concentrations can persist longer indoors. Moreover, since U.S. residents spend on average 90% of their time indoors,12,13 indoor exposure to VOCs are of particular concern. Hence, reducing indoor VOCs is critical for building occupants’ health.
Among indoor consumer products, the product category that releases the highest levels of VOCs is the air freshener. An air freshener is a product that releases a fragrance in order to add a pleasant scent to the space or to mask bad odors. Air fresheners do not clean the air, nor do they reduce air pollutants. 14 In 2003, the California Air Resources Board found air
fresheners to have some of the highest per capita VOC emissions of any household, followed by cleaning products.
How do VOCs in air fresheners impact health?
VOCs commonly enter the body through two main pathways: 1) inhalation through the lungs and 2) skin contact with products that release VOCs.9 Some immediate symptoms that people may experience after exposure to VOCs include: eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment. Other long-term symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include: allergic skin reactions, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, nosebleeds, difficulty breathing, and damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system .
Among the VOCs commonly found to be emitted by air fresheners, benzene and formaldehyde are of particular concern, as they have been linked to cancer among humans. 4,5,9,20 Toluene, ethylene, and limonene have also been found in air fresheners and been linked to toxic health effects. Furthermore, exposure to 1,4 dichlorobenzene from air fresheners has led to reductions in lung function and has led to decreased function of the liver, kidneys, eyes, and organs of developing embryos and fetuses.
Since over 70% of U.S. households use air fresheners at least once a week and their use in the rest of the world is also growing, millions of people around the world are at risk of the negative health impacts of VOCs. In particular, janitors and other cleaning personnel are exposed to higher levels of VOCs because of their frequent use of air fresheners and other cleaning products. It should also be noted that cigarette smokers and vulnerable populations (i.e. young children, older people, pregnant women, and people with asthma) are more susceptible to the effects of VOCs. Therefore, it is important to minimize exposure to air fresheners as much as possible.
The best way to protect yourself from the negative health impacts of air fresheners is to avoid their use altogether in your home and advocate for a fragrance-free policy in your workplace. It should be noted that ALL TYPES of air fresheners, even those referred to as “green”, “organic”, or “natural”, have VOC emission potential.