Air fresheners

Toxic effects of air freshener emissions. Rosalind Anderson Ph.D. and Julius Anderson M.D.-Ph.D. Archives of Environmental Health(1997) 52: 433-441. Check out your favorite restraurant - the air freshener in the restroom may make you feel dizzy or short of breath. The last time you walked through a parking lot on a hot day, could you tell which cars had little air fresheners on the dash board with your eyes closed? Under controlled conditions, we had groups of laboratory mice breath the fumes released by several types of air fresheners. We found scientific data demonstrating irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and sinuses; difficulty breathing; asthmatic reactions, and changes in nervous system function(loss of balance, tremors, and convulsions). Several of the mice died as a result of breathing these chemicals. The data demonstrate that some air fresheners release toxic (poisonous) chemicals which can irritate the airway and cause serious malfunction of the nervous system.