Common scented products leave chemical trails that pollute indoor air and harm your health.
A new study from Purdue University (USA) has revealed that the air inside your home can be more polluted than the air outside. The culprits? Everyday household products. These include air fresheners, floor cleaners, deodorants, and even flameless scented candles.
These everyday items can rapidly fill the air in your home with tiny pollutants that penetrate deep into your lungs.
“If you’re using cleaning products and aromatherapy items that contain chemical fragrances to recreate a forest atmosphere in your home, you’re actually polluting the air significantly,” said Nusrat Young, an assistant professor at Purdue University’s Lyles School of Civil Engineering and co-author of the study.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
During the study, the team tracked how household products generate nanoparticles in the air—particles just a few nanometers in size that can deeply penetrate the respiratory system and spread to other organs.
The researchers created a miniature laboratory that simulated all the functions of a typical home and equipped it with sensors to monitor air quality. They then tested various household products, including aromatic wax, which is often marketed as non-toxic because it doesn’t burn like regular candles. The tests showed that melted aromatic wax pollutes indoor air just as much as regular candles.
The problem is that melted wax and other scented products release chemical compounds known as terpenes. Melted wax, which contains a high concentration of aromatic oils, emits even more terpenes.
When terpenes are released, they react almost instantly with ozone in the air, producing large numbers of nanoparticles, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Further tests on essential oils, disinfectants, air fresheners, and other aromatic sprays confirmed that these products also generate substantial quantities of nanoparticles.
“Between 100 billion and 10 trillion of these particles can settle in your respiratory system within just 20 minutes of exposure to scented products,” the university team said.
“Our research showed that scented products are not just passive sources of pleasant smells. They actively alter the chemical composition of indoor air, leading to the formation of nanoparticles at concentrations that can have serious health implications,” said Nusrat Young.
But concerns shouldn’t stop with scented products. The researchers also found that cooking on a gas stove releases a massive number of nanoparticles into indoor air.
“Indoor air quality is often overlooked in the design and management of the homes where we live and work, yet it directly impacts our health every day,” noted Professor Brandon Boor, co-author of the study.
The team plans to follow up by studying how nanoparticles generated by scented products affect human health.
