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But just how "fresh" is air freshener? A study released last week by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) evaluated 14 air fresheners off the shelf of a local Walgreens and found that 12 contained variable amounts of substances called phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates), a group of chemicals that are used to dissolve and carry fragrances, soften plastics and also as sealants and adhesives. Phthalates are commonly found in a variety of products, including cosmetics, paints, nail polish and children's toys — and have long been at the center of a larger international controversy over their health effects.
Studies involving rat and human subjects have suggested that high exposures to certain kinds of phthalates can cause cancer, developmental and sex-hormone abnormalities (including decreased testosterone and sperm levels and malformed sex organs) in infants, and can affect fertility.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has no regulations on the use of phthalates, does not require the labeling of phthalate content on products and does not consider the quantities to which people are exposed to be harmful. But other countries think otherwise. In 2004, the European Union banned two types of phthalates in cosmetics and also bans the chemical in children's toys, as do 14 other countries. The first state bill to ban phthalates in children's toys in the U.S. is currently sitting on California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk, and he is expected to sign it this week.
Plug-in, spray or stand-alone liquid and gel air fresheners are used in nearly 75% of U.S. households, and the market has doubled since 2003 to $1.72 billion. The NRDC tested products, including those labeled "all-natural" or "unscented," and found a wide range of phthalate content, from zero parts per million (ppm) to 7,300 ppm. Many air fresheners contained a phthalate known as DEP and some also contained DBP, which are listed by the California EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a developmental toxin and female and male reproductive toxin, respectively.
According to the NRDC report, three Walgreens products — Walgreens Scented Bouquet Air Freshener, Walgreens Air Freshener Spray and Walgreens Solid Air Freshener — were among the top four highest in phthalate content (including Ozium Glycolized Air Sanitizer), and Walgreens pulled them from store shelves last Wednesday. The company will submit its house-branded products to an independent lab to confirm the NRDC's findings; one of Walgreens' manufacturers has already decided to make its product phthlate-free, according to Walgreens spokeswoman Carol Hively. The two air fresheners that the NRDC found virtually free of phthalates were Febreze Air Effects Air Refresher and Renuzit Subtle Effects.
Di - ethyl Phthalate (DEP): Has been associatd with changes in hormone levels and genital devepment in humans.
Di - n-butyl Pthhalate (DBP): Is recognized as a reproductive toxicant by the National Toxicology Program and the State of california, and can lead to changes in genital development.
Di - isobutyl Pthalate (DIBP): DIBP metabolites have been associated with changes in male genital development
Di - methyl Pthalate (DMP): Inconclusive evidence has shown reproductive toxicity in animal studies.
Di - isohexyl Phthalate (DIHP): Limited toxicity testing has shown that DIHP is probably a developmental and reproductive toxicant.
Air Wick Scented Oil = 0.75 ppm DBP; 6.3 ppm DEP; 1.6 ppm DIBP; 2.1 ppm DIHP
Citrus Magic = 0.25 ppm DBT
Febreze Air Effects Air Refresher = 0
Febrese NOTICEables Scented Oil = 0.19 ppm DBP; 1.5 ppm DIBP
Glade Air Infusions = 1.5 ppm DEP
Glade PlugIn Scented Oil = 4.5 ppm DBP
Lysol Brand || Disinfectant = 0.12 ppm DBP; 0.49 ppm DEP
Oust Air Sanitizer Spray = 5.7 ppm DEP
Oust Fan Liquid Refills = 0.78 ppm DEP; 0.24 ppm DIBP
Ozium Glycol-ized Air Sanitizer = 360 ppm DEP; 0.15 ppm DPM
Renuzit Subtle Effects = 0
Walgreens Air Freshener Spray = 1,100 ppm of DEP
Walgreens Scented Bouquet Air Freshner = 7,300 ppm of DEP; 0.47 ppm of DBP; 6.5 ppm DMP
Walgreens Solid Air Fresener = 23 ppm DEP
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