| Title: | Fragranced consumer products: effects on asthmatics |
| Address: | "1Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia. ISNI: 0000 0001 2179 088X. GRID: grid.1008.9 2College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia. ISNI: 0000 0004 0474 1797. GRID: grid.1011.1 3Climate, Atmospheric Sciences, and Physical Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA. ISNI: 0000 0001 2107 4242. GRID: grid.266100.3" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11869-017-0536-2 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-9318 (Print) 1873-9326 (Electronic) 1873-9318 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Fragranced consumer products, such as cleaning supplies, air fresheners, and personal care products, can emit a range of air pollutants and trigger adverse health effects. This study investigates the prevalence and types of effects of fragranced products on asthmatics in the American population. Using a nationally representative sample (n = 1137), data were collected with an on-line survey of adults in the USA, of which 26.8% responded as being medically diagnosed with asthma or an asthma-like condition. Results indicate that 64.3% of asthmatics report one or more types of adverse health effects from fragranced products, including respiratory problems (43.3%), migraine headaches (28.2%), and asthma attacks (27.9%). Overall, asthmatics were more likely to experience adverse health effects from fragranced products than non-asthmatics (prevalence odds ratio [POR] 5.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.34-7.64). In particular, 41.0% of asthmatics report health problems from air fresheners or deodorizers, 28.9% from scented laundry products coming from a dryer vent, 42.3% from being in a room cleaned with scented products, and 46.2% from being near someone wearing a fragranced product. Of these effects, 62.8% would be considered disabling under the definition of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Yet 99.3% of asthmatics are exposed to fragranced products at least once a week. Also, 36.7% cannot use a public restroom if it has an air freshener or deodorizer, and 39.7% would enter a business but then leave as quickly as possible due to air fresheners or some fragranced product. Further, 35.4% of asthmatics have lost workdays or a job, in the past year, due to fragranced product exposure in the workplace. More than twice as many asthmatics would prefer that workplaces, health care facilities and health care professionals, hotels, and airplanes were fragrance-free rather than fragranced. Results from this study point to relatively simple and cost-effective ways to reduce exposure to air pollutants and health risks for asthmatics by reducing their exposure to fragranced products" |
| Keywords: | Asthma Fragrance Fragranced consumer products Health effects Indoor air quality Semi-volatile organic compounds Volatile organic compounds; |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINESteinemann, Anne eng Netherlands 2018/02/03 Air Qual Atmos Health. 2018; 11(1):3-9. doi: 10.1007/s11869-017-0536-2. Epub 2017 Dec 11" |
