Dr. Pragya Khanna
Do you love to
sweeten the air
in your room with fresheners? Beware. A study has found that people who use air fresheners or other household cleaning products which contain aerosol propellants, formaldehyde, which most of them do, as little as once a week, experience reduced heart rate variability (HRV), a condition linked to heart attack and high blood pressure apart from some other serious ailments. As it is, cardiovascular diseases are one of the major causes of mortality in both developed and developing countries. Though household sprays and scented products have earlier been associated with respiratory problems their cardiac effects were largely unknown till now.
In recent years markets have promoted a vast array of indoor chemicals so-called air 'fresheners' or room 'deodorizers'. These products include metered sprays, plug-ins, sticks, wicks, mists, aerosols, carpet cleaners, scented candles and even scented stones. Today there is virtually no place in the business world that not only has these 'fresheners' in every bathroom, but they're also seen in lobbies, hallways, office spaces and, most frightening, even in nurseries and kids places worldwide.
Modern homemakers are seduced through witty and vivid advertising to ensure that as many rooms as possible have these 'fresheners' circulating various chemical scents throughout the house. Gullible consumers even extend this passion for perfumed air by installing 'fresheners' in their cars, where a variety of chemically-induced scents fill the car's interior.
The fact is that the chemical 'deodorizers' or chemical air 'fresheners' only mask other odours. These products do absolutely nothing to improve the quality of indoor air, and in fact, can contribute to a host of ailments from headaches, high pulse rate and nausea; to mention a few.
Reports of the dangers of chemical air 'fresheners' are just beginning to make the news. A recent MSN article stated that being exposed to air 'freshener' chemicals as little as once a fortnight can increase your odds of developing asthma symptoms as much as 71 percent and can contribute to an increased risk of a number of pulmonary diseases apart from cardiac malfunction.
A September 2007 TIME magazine article, "How 'Fresh' is Air Freshener" reported that the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) discovered that most chemical air 'fresheners' contained variable amounts of substances called phthalates. Numerous animal studies have shown exposure to phthalates decreases testosterone, causes malformations of the genitalia, and reduced sperm production. Human studies link phthalates to changes in hormones, poor semen quality and changes in genital formation. Five phthalates, including one found in air fresheners are listed by the State of California as "known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm." Additionally, phthalates in air fresheners are associated with allergic symptoms and asthma, according to the NRDC.
Some fragrances cause changes in blood flow, blood pressure, mood, and trigger migraine headaches. A massive 72% of asthmatics cite these fragrances as a trigger in causing asthma attacks, and they have been implicated as a cause for the initial development of asthma. Asthma rates in the United States have doubled since 1980, and the use of air fresheners has doubled since just 2003. Most synthetic fragrances are also known respiratory irritants which means that they cause inflammation in the lungs, leading to an increased mucous production, and a greater vulnerability to other chemicals, allergens and infections. Ninety-five percent of synthetic fragrances are derived from petroleum. They include benzene and aldehydes; which are known to cause cancers, reproductive effects, and problems with the central nervous system. These effects on the nervous system result in increased cases of Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and more. A study from 1991 entitled, Chemical Exposures: Low Levels and High Stakes, tested the effects of fragrances among test subjects. When asthmatics were exposed to cologne for 10 minutes, their pulmonary functions were impaired by 58% from a previous 18% handicap. Of the 60 asthmatics that they surveyed, 57 complained of respiratory symptoms with exposure to common scents.
According to the EPA1, air freshener contains four basic ingredients: formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, aerosol propellants, and p- dichlorobenzene. Out of this Formaldehyde can cause a number of health effects including watery eyes, burning eye, nose, throat and other mucous membranes, difficulty breathing, nausea and asthma attacks. Petroleum distillates come from petrochemical manufacturing, which contribute to air, soil, and groundwater pollution. The effects on human health include respiratory problems, asthma, chemical pneumonia, pulmonary damage. Aerosol propellants can harm earth's ozone layer. Likewise, they can damage human health including increased cancer risk, breathing problems, development of chronic health issues. Paradichlorobenzene (p-DCB) is often found in mothballs and may cause anemia, skin lesions, liver damage, loss of appetite, changes to the blood.
The chemicals which are emitted from air fresheners (and other toxic products) accumulate in the fatty tissues over time, so the dangers increase as they build up inside a body. The presence of toxins inside fat can make weight loss difficult. Since the human body uses fat to store certain materials that are too toxic for it to process, breaking down the fat would mean releasing those toxins, so a body must resist its fat loss for self-defence. Thus, fat is sometimes the result of an immune system properly responding to a danger.
Prior to World War II most household cleaning tasks were accomplished using relatively safe ingredients commonly found in most homes. With the proliferation of petroleum-based chemicals after the war, corporations began to manufacture ready-made cleaning products. Today, most people are accustomed to buying a wide range of products custom-designed for the many surfaces, materials and rooms in their homes.
Even today most cleaning chores can be easily handled without these toxic products. Everyday ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, salt, lemon juice, vegetable oil, soap, borax, hydrogen peroxide and washing soda can do the job as they did in olden days.
It is understandable that everyone's home can get a little stale from time to time. If you'd like to sweeten your environment, however, you can make far healthier choices than air fresheners. Here are a few suggestions:
" Take a small bowl and fill it with a cup of baking soda, and put it in the room where you keep your dustbin or litter box. Then put a few drops of eucalyptus oil (you can find this wherever you get essential oils) on the baking soda and stirr it up. As an air freshener, it lasts for months.
" Baking soda contained in an open container will absorb odours in enclosed spaces.
" Simmer water and cinnamon or other spices on stove to remove odour from closed spaces.
" Use one part of rose or peppermint extract prepared at home to clean spray bottle filled with 3 parts water.
" Place bowls of fragrant dried herbs and flowers in room.
" Use a 50-50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle to clean and deodorize bathroom surfaces.
" White vinegar is a natural disinfectant and deodorizer. Dilute the vinegar with water, using one part vinegar to one part water, in a spray bottle and spritz on any hard surface. Use a sponge or damp microfiber cloth to wipe down porcelain tubs and sinks, mirrors, glass shelves and tile; you'll get rid of grime as well as deodorize the entire room. Though it smells pungent by itself, the vinegar's strong scent evaporates as you clean. For an even fresher scent, replace all or part of the vinegar in the cleaning solution with lemon juice.
" Soak a cotton ball in vanilla and place it in a bowl where you want your home to smell better.
" Use essential oils. Dab a little on a light bulb or a warmer to gently scent a room.
Now you have homemade room sprays and deodorizers that will save you tons of money and place no chemicals into your air. In homes without air exchange systems, open a window for a while to get fresh air in and stale air out. Or put a fan in a window drawing air out, and open another window to increase air circulation.
You can add indoor plants to your bathroom; they'll beautify the room and grow robust from the present moisture, as well as deodorize their surroundings. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen, thereby eliminating odours and clearing the air on the molecular level. Choose humidity-loving plants like ferns, begonias, money plant and other tropical varieties, and put them in a spot with enough natural light to thrive. So, the next time you walk through your front door, think about your home's scent signature and how you can change it! |
