Some scented household products contain chemicals classified as toxic, UW study finds

[gateley]

The fumes that waft from top-selling air fresheners and laundry products contain dozens of chemicals, including several classified as toxic or hazardous, says a University of Washington study published today.

None of the chemicals was listed on product labels, nor does the federal government require companies to disclose ingredients in fragrances, said study author Anne Steinemann. <snip>

Her advice for people who want to reduce their exposure is to avoid use of air fresheners and buy fragrance-free laundry products.
But even that's no guarantee, she pointed out. Some products marketed as "unscented" or "fragrance-free" actually contain the same chemicals as scented products — with the addition of a "masking fragrance" that cancels out the smell.

And many products labeled "natural" or "organic" also contain some of the same chemicals.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008067309_toxicsmell23m0.html

[Peregrine Took]

1. What about the bottles with the sticks in them for fragrance?

[gateley]

2. Don't know if they tested those,

but from the article, I'm a little leery of any fragranced product.

On the other hand, I've used fragranced products for years, and I'm not one of the ones who react adversely. I just really posted this in case some people are experiencing unpleasant symptoms could be aware this might be a potential culprit.

[pnwmom]

3. But it's not enough to avoid fragranced products, according to the article,

since they might simply call something fragrance-free because they added a masking agent.

This is crying out for legislation.

Thanks for posting. K&R.

[gateley]

4. I know - what are we to do when we think we're buying

fragrance-free, and in actuality we're buying a chemical/toxin to take away the scent? You (I) have a false sense of security believing that ingredients must be listed on the label. Apparently not. :grr: