Aren’t air fresheners and faux fragrances great? They give us good-smelling laundry, pleasant bathrooms and even unnoticeable garbage cans. But wait. What exactly are these products made up of? In an article on The Daily Green Web site, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that these fresheners are filled with several dangerous chemicals. Anne Steinemann of the University of Washington found 100 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when she studied scented products in the home (air fresheners, dryer sheets, etc.). I should point out that the companies of these products argue that the chemicals are kept at very low levels for safety. Researchers, however, say the evidence indicates that many of the VOCs in home products are health risks, possibly even causing cancer. I know it’s easy to just plug in a scent and forget it, but with this new information, can’t we just light a candle? Maybe we could even open a window, unless of course, you happen to live in Beijing.
Something Smells Fishy
