Our Noses Know
And are trying to tell us something important
I spent the weekend at a relative’s house, and came down with a headache. At times, I thought my throat was closing.
The relative keeps a tidy house, complete with air fresheners plugged into a socket in every room, something I avoided after a former physician mentioned the carcinogenic effects of these.
Could they have been the problem?
I did some research and discovered that “Air fresheners emit over 100 chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes — some of which are associated with different types of cancer in high doses,” as reported by the Washington Post in Feb. of 2023.
VOCs often have adverse health effects and their concentration is greater indoors.
According to the National Resources Defense Council, air fresheners contain chemicals proven to affect human reproduction. The NRDC tested several fresheners sold at Walmart and 12 of the 14 contained phthalates, a well-known cancer-causing chemical.
Why would anyone buy and disperse this in their own home?
I don’t remember seeing them in houses as a child, but suddenly they cover quite a bit of shelf space in the grocery store and pop…
