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Chemical in Air Fresheners May Reduce Lung Function

New research shows that a chemical compound found in many air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners and other deodorizing products might be harmful to the lungs.  Human population studies at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, found that exposure to a volatile organic compound (VOC) called 1,4 dichlorobenzene (1,4 DCG) may cause modest reduction in lung function.  This could be even more potentially damaging to young children who are still developing during the first five years of life.

If you look closely at the labels, you will see that they are in French. However, we use these same chemical air fresheners in the United States in child care centers and public schools.

The researchers examined the relationship between blood concentrations of 11 common volatile organic compounds and lung function measures in a representative sample of 953 adults.  VOC’s are a diverse set of compounds emitted as gases from thousands of commonly used products, including pesticides, paints and cleaning products.  The chemical that most affected the lungs was the compound called 1,4 DCB, which is commonly used in products such as room deodorizers, diaper pail deodorizers, and toilet bowl blocks.  These products are all used in child care centers.

See the 2003 issue of our Children’s Learning Environments e-newsletter for suggestions on more natural ways to clean and deodorize:

www.whitehutchinson.com/news/learnenews/2003/12.shtml#2

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