Hidden Health Hazards Of Plug-In Air Fresheners

Hidden Health Hazards Of Plug-In Air Fresheners

During the 1990s, the air freshener market experienced a massive resurgence thanks to the introduction of convenient “plug-in” air fresheners. These air fresheners rely on heat induction technology and special heat-activated scented gels to continually release a scent.

At the time of their introduction, they heralded plug-in air fresheners as being an excellent development in home scenting technology. Not only were they easy to use and affordable, they also didn’t rely on aerosol sprays. Aerosol sprays had come under fire during the 1980s for their deleterious effect on the ozone layer. Today, however, they are warning consumers that they should rethink modern air fresheners. As researchers have taken a closer look at these seemingly hassle-free devices, they have discovered an astonishing number of toxic compounds present in many scented-gels.

One of the primary concerns health experts have about plug-in air fresheners is their wide-spread use of phthalates. According to a study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 86% of air fresheners tested contained phthalates. Phthalates, which are also in many plastics, aerosol sprays, paints, pesticides, cosmetics, and fragrances, are notoriously disruptive to the body. As the NRDC reported in their research, “Most phthalates are well known to interfere with production of the male hormone testosterone, and have been associated with reproductive abnormalities”. Phthalates are on the State of California’s list of toxic substances which “cause birth defects or reproductive harm”. The NRDC also warns that airborne phthalates can cause allergic symptoms and asthma. Even trace amounts of phthalates can accumulate to cause these harmful side-effects.

Due to the above findings (and similar corroborative studies), the Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a general warning about the high phthalate levels present in air fresheners. You should also keep in mind that there are many additional potential risks of phthalates. All though they are still exploring liver and kidney toxicity and cancer. Preliminary animal studies suggest that these adverse effects are also a genuine, and worrying, possibility in humans.

Even if they found out phthalates to not to be highly carcinogenic in humans, however, the UK’s Public Health Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental

Hazards has revealed that air fresheners typically contain another toxic compound that absolutely is carcinogenic:

Formaldehyde is a human carcinogen that has a definite link to cancers of the nose and throat. It can also cause ongoing irritation of the throat and airways, potentially leading to dangerous infections, frequent nosebleeds, asthma, and other respiratory ailments, says the US government’s National Toxicology Program. These risks are particularly higher in the elderly, infants, and people with compromised immune systems. In fact, a 2013 study of more than 2,000 pregnant women (reported in the International Journal of Public Health) found that women who used plug-in air fresheners during gestation were statistically far more likely to have babies suffering from serious lung infections.

Compounding the risks posed by formaldehyde, most major brands of plug-in air fresheners contain a chemical known as naphthalene. They have shown that Naphthalene can cause tissue damage and cancer in the lungs of rodents in laboratory studies. It’s plausible to assume that it causes similar effects in humans.

As if all of the above evidence was not damning enough, they have revealed that plug-in air fresheners contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well. VOCs are compounds with a low boiling point that form gas or vapor at room temperature. This makes them an excellent scent dispersal agent. Unfortunately, they too have a connection to an increased risk of asthma, particularly in children.

If the above isn’t enough to make you throw away all your scented plug-ins then keep reading….

I’ve talked to SEVERAL firemen over the years who have seen more house fires started with the plug-in type room fresheners than anything else. The plastic they are made from is THIN.

Some plug-ins that have a small night light built in it. Some people report that the light will go dim and then finally go out but would be back on again hours later. This is from the unit getting too hot, and would dim and go out rather than just blow the light bulb. Once it cooled down it would come back on. That is a warning sign

Every fireman I know says that they personally wouldn’t have any type of plug in fragrance device anywhere in their house. They have seen too many places that have been burned down due to them.” When I first learned this years ago I threw every single one in my house away.

Try a diffuser and essential oil’s to make your house smell amazing!


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