Bob Dylan’s timeless lyrics apply to so many topics, and their meanings are subject to the interpreter in that particular moment.

 

In 2018 I read a paper from NOAA about the impact of everyday household products upon air quality, here is an excerpt:  “This study confirmed that contributions from household chemicals are now equal to that of transportation and oil and gas emissions. Even though we use almost 15 times more fuel than household products, chemicals in lotions and other everyday items are contributing just as much to air quality problems, indicating a clear need for further assessment and advancement in manufacturing.”

The information hit me in the face and made my eyes burn just as much as walking near the cleaning supply aisle at the grocery store.  The importance of omitting fragrance from household and personal products doesn’t end with air pollution, but also impacts health as well.  For example, more and more men and women have come into the office with concerns about either increased or decreased hormonal levels.  While there are various reasons for hormonal fluctuation, fragrance is one of the dysregulating factors.  This article features excerpts from two papers and offers a site to check the safety of household and personal products.

 

Here is the link and two more excerpts from the NOAA article :

https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2018/226_0215.html

“Brian McDonald and his research colleagues compared data to determine how important daily-use chemicals are to the growing air pollution problem. The findings revealed that, contrary to prior EPA estimates, household chemicals are significant part of estimating VOC contributions. Previously, agencies had estimated that fuels produced about 75% of VOC emissions while household products contributed about 25%. The true split is about 50-50 according to the study.“

“In the past, air quality management has prioritized controlling transportation and industrial emissions rather than the use of everyday products. While everyday products are subject to regulations, many important air quality statutes and compliance measures focused other things. Jessica Gilman, a CIRES scientist working alongside McDonald at CSD, explained that the storage and usage of gasoline compared to common solvents are very different. While gasoline is stored in closed containers and burned for energy, household products are designed to evaporate, which explains why these daily use chemicals are contributing more and more to pollution. It’s not just what these products are made of, it’s also how they are used, transported, and designed.”

 

In addition to air pollution and ozone wreckage, these unnecessary fragrance additives negatively impact the health of living organisms, especially the respiratory and endocrine systems.  Why is the endocrine system important ?  It regulates hormonal activity.  This topic is extensively researched.  Here is another paper with 65 references to check : “The present review aims to critically call attention to odorant VOCs, particularly synthetic fragrances and associated formula components of PCHPs, potentially impacting indoor air quality and negatively affecting human health.” https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4713/13/1/10

 

The above link’s first of sixty five references was particularly engaging as it focused upon pharmaceutical and personal care products found in waterways and the specific challenges of removing these from water / water treatment plants : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722014413?via%3Dihub

 

“Worthy of note, VOCs, in the form of compressed aerosols, which are propellants of personal care and household products (PCHPs) like air fresheners, colognes, and perfumes, body and hair sprays, cleaners, among others, accounted for astonished global emissions of over 1 Tg per year in 2018 and could surpass 2 Tg per year in 2050, representing a negative impact on the atmosphere and human health [7].”

 

With this information in mind I’ve wondered why, at the very least, fake fragrance hasn’t been protested and banned …

 

“Apart from the pharmaceutical ingredients, the fragrance industry is a multi-billionaire market providing materials for personal care and household products. Regarding the global perfume market exclusively, the projected growth of over 43 billion U.S. dollars was expected by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.0% in 2021–2028 [57].”

 

Again, there are many factors impacting health, for example it is well known that certain hormones fluctuate when there is chronic pain, and estrogen elevates to help the immune system do its job.  However, in order to rule out fragrance from the causative mix, eliminating fragrance from the home is an easy place to begin if anyone experiences chronic skin rashes, respiratory conditions, digestive and immune system disturbances, headaches and migraines, and endocrine system disruption – to name a few.  

 

Check the safety of products here : https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/