The Health Hazards of Air Fresheners
Most of the Club's facilities blocks now seem to contain automatic air fresheners that puff out scent at periodic intervals.
I posted some time ago pointing out the adverse effect these had on my asthma and asking the Club to think again. Facilities blocks on Club sites are usually kept immaculately clean and there is no need for these to be installed.
I notice that the UK press has now latched onto research that has been done on this issue which not only indicates they aggravate asthma, but also that they contain cancer causing chemicals.
Will the Club now look at this again and remove these items? See today's newspapers as well as HERE and HERE
Comments
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I wonder if your previous concern was ever picked up by staff.
Might be an idea to highlight it this time in an effort to get the issue reconsidered.
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Rahter a nice air freshner smell than some of the nasty ones we have encountered on our travels especially at peak times in the morning!! And especially as the toilet blocks are over heated and mostly have no windows open to let fresh air in/smells out.
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For MichaelT who has obviously not noted the implications....
"Protect Your Family from
the Hidden Hazards in Air FreshenersAir fresheners have become a staple in many homes and offices, marketed with the promise of creating a clean, healthy, and sweet-smelling indoor atmosphere. But many of these products contain phthalates (pronounced thal-ates)—hazardous chemicals known to cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive problems. NRDC’s independent testing of 14 common air fresheners, none of which listed phthalates as an ingredient, uncovered these chemicals in 86 percent (12 of 14) of the products tested, including those advertised as “all-natural” or “unscented"....."0 -
Rahter a nice air freshner smell than some of the nasty ones we have encountered on our travels especially at peak times in the morning!! And especially as the toilet blocks are over heated and mostly have no windows open to let fresh air in/smells out.
But surely not if it's putting people's health at risk?
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Whilst I have every sympathy with the asthma problem, as I also suffer. Not found the air freshners a problem, but have experience problems from other perfumes. However, as far as the Phthalates risk is concerned, I am not so sure. We are only talking about ppm and a quick check on the internet had as many organisations saying they were not a problem as were. A bit like the benzene scare with one of the mineral waters a few years ago. It turned out you would have to drink about 20 gals a day to be a problem and you recieved more of a dose filling your car.
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Whatever the implications I would still rather smell an air freshner or beter still have the windows open, and lets be honest the automated ones only go off now and again and you would have to be unlucky if it always went off when you visited the toilet
block. Much more things to worry about than a few particles of this how about the polluting diesel cars we all drive that probably cause more issues to health than anything should he CC ban these as well...oh no cos they would not ahve any customers.0 -
Whilst I have every sympathy with the asthma problem, as I also suffer. Not found the air freshners a problem, but have experience problems from other perfumes. However, as far as the Phthalates risk is concerned, I am not so sure. We are only talking about ppm and a quick check on the internet had as many organisations saying they were not a problem as were. A bit like the benzene scare with one of the mineral waters a few years ago. It turned out you would have to drink about 20 gals a day to be a problem and you recieved more of a dose filling your car.
...A quote for you:
1,4-Dichlorobenzene is a chemical which can be found in the blood of 96% of Americans. It has been linked to lung damage, is a known carcinogen, and it is an E.P.A. registered pesticide. Studies found it to increase rates of asthma. It can be found in the majority of air fresheners, toilet deodorizers, and mothballs. It works by attacking the receptors in the nose, and thus eliminating the sense of smell. This is how the new generation of air fresheners actually "freshen". These were introduced into the American market with the Febreze product from Proctor & Gamble. The recent generation of air fresheners that were inspired by the success of Febreze are literally using chemical warfare to destroy their customer's sense of smell. That lack of smell is where the illusion of freshness comes from. The user only smells these air fresheners for about the first minute after they have been sprayed, and then the nose cannot smell most fragrances anymore. This is not a normal adjustment to odors, anymore than a loss of one of the other four senses. The process is the equivalent to using a chemical blinding agent to escape the unpleasantness of a bright light; when that chemical is known to be both poisonous and carcinogenic. The chemical causes intentional damage to the mucous membrane, which is claimed to be temporary. However, no long-term studies have ever been done to test the effects of chronic exposure. It is important to remember that anything inhaled is immediately absorbed into the blood through the lungs relatively unchanged.
The key with air fresheners in the home is that you can choose to use them or not. I choose not to because they affect my asthma. In Club facilities blocks there is no choice. They are there and they are activated by a movement sensor when someone enters the block. It eliminates my choice.0 -
Just an observation. :- Why do people who enter public buildings built for the express purpose of facilitating mass public defecation and mituration then moan about the associated smells that result.
Air fresheners merely mask smells by adding another smell, they dont make them go away
Discerning caravanners use their own private facilities which they have paid for when they purchased their van.
K
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I have to agree with the OP, it irritates by eyes and nose and the OH suffers the same. We don't have any artifical air freshners in the house or scented candles, neither of us has asthma or any other allergies.
When I worked we had the same type of system installed in our toilets by the contractor who cleaned and looked after them (Initial) within a few weeks there was a number of staff complaining about itchy eyes and runny noses, some had an irritating cough.
In the end they were removed, after that the staff members who had complained said their syptoms had disapeared. Make of it what you will, but I'm all for the open window than sprays.0 -
Whilst I have every sympathy with the asthma problem, as I also suffer. Not found the air freshners a problem, but have experience problems from other perfumes. However, as far as the Phthalates risk is concerned, I am not so sure. We are only talking
about ppm and a quick check on the internet had as many organisations saying they were not a problem as were. A bit like the benzene scare with one of the mineral waters a few years ago. It turned out you would have to drink about 20 gals a day to be a problem
and you recieved more of a dose filling your car....A quote for you:
1,4-Dichlorobenzene is a chemical which can be found in the blood of 96% of Americans. It has been linked to
lung damage, is a known carcinogen, and it is an E.P.A. registered pesticide. Studies found it to increase rates of asthma. It can be found in the majority of air fresheners, toilet deodorizers, and mothballs. It works by attacking the receptors in the
nose, and thus eliminating the sense of smell. This is how the new generation of air fresheners actually "freshen". These were introduced into the American market with the Febreze product from Proctor & Gamble. The recent generation of air fresheners that
were inspired by the success of Febreze are literally using chemical warfare to destroy their customer's sense of smell. That lack of smell is where the illusion of freshness comes from. The user only smells these air fresheners for about the first minute
after they have been sprayed, and then the nose cannot smell most fragrances anymore. This is not a normal adjustment to odors, anymore than a loss of one of the other four senses. The process is the equivalent to using a chemical blinding agent to escape
the unpleasantness of a bright light; when that chemical is known to be both poisonous and carcinogenic. The chemical causes intentional damage to the mucous membrane, which is claimed to be temporary. However, no long-term studies have ever been done to test
the effects of chronic exposure. It is important to remember that anything inhaled is immediately absorbed into the blood through the lungs relatively unchanged.
The key with air fresheners in the home is that you can choose to use them or not. I choose not to because they affect my asthma. In Club facilities blocks there is no choice. They are there and they are activated by a movement sensor when someone
enters the block. It eliminates my choice.As I put in my post, I have every sympathy with your asthma problems and would fully support there removal on that basis. However, let's not start yet another scare story based on one set of opinions. We are dealing with parts per million, and as with all
these things for every authority saying they are a major problem, there is another saying they are not a risk in the low doses involved.Unfortunately these days it seems the same with everything, the press loves a good scare story. I not saying you should totally disregard the reports, but please don't take them as definitive.
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To you SteveL it may be a 'scare story'. To me it results in discomfort and difficulty breathing. Hence my request in the OP that the Club rethink their policy.
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Would it not be better to E-Mail the club with your concerns ,rather than a post on CT that will get over looked ??
...I will do that Huskydog but I am sure there are others that are affected too - hence the post.
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Just an observation. :- Why do people who enter public buildings built for the express purpose of facilitating mass public defecation and mituration then moan about the associated smells that result.
Air fresheners merely mask smells by adding another smell, they dont make them go away
Discerning caravanners use their own private facilities which they have paid for when they purchased their van.
K
Write your comments here...Perhaps they don'the use their own facilities because as you say....odours don't go away.
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Most of the Club's facilities blocks now seem to contain automatic air fresheners that puff out scent at periodic intervals.
I posted some time ago pointing out the adverse effect these had on my asthma and asking the Club to think again. Facilities blocks on Club sites are usually kept immaculately clean and there is no need for these to be installed.
I notice that the UK press has now latched onto research that has been done on this issue which not only indicates they aggravate asthma, but also that they contain cancer causing chemicals.
Will the Club now look at this again and remove these items? See today's newspapers as well as HERE and HEREWrite your comments here...Have you contacted the club direct with your concerns? as we know all to well posting on here, it is not common to get a response from Grimstead
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To you SteveL it may be a 'scare story'. To me it results in discomfort and difficulty breathing. Hence my request in the OP that the Club rethink their policy.
I think if you are going to contact the club it would be far better to stick to the facts you can prove. In that the discharge of the air fresheners brings on your asthma. As to what component of the freshener does this, that is unknown and irrelevant to
what you are requesting. In my opinion bringing up the possible health risks of these Phthalates will draw the focus away from what you are trying to achieve, the removal of the fresheners because they can bring on asthma.0 -
Regardless of whether they are dangerous or not I don't like them as they seem to affect my breathing when one dispenses close to you. I would question whether they were really necessary as most toilet blocks are quite spacious, doors to the outside are
opening all the time and the use of showers with scented shower gel will overcome any nasty odours.David
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the use of showers with scented shower gel will overcome any nasty odours.
I don't believe the smells about which people complain are coming from the showers!
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Although I'm not a great lover of these things I do use the facilities but if the products used are found to be toxic it is time to swap to non toxic ones.
I choose not to enter those soap and candle shops which are just overpowering as they iratate my nose, make me sneeze and my eyes run. I wonder if they may contain toxic chemicals.
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To you SteveL it may be a 'scare story'. To me it results in discomfort and difficulty breathing. Hence my request in the OP that the Club rethink their policy.
I think if you are going to contact the club it would be far better to stick to the facts you can prove. In that the discharge of the air fresheners brings on your asthma. As to what component of the freshener does this, that is unknown and irrelevant to what you are requesting. In my opinion bringing up the possible health risks of these Phthalates will draw the focus away from what you are trying to achieve, the removal of the fresheners because they can bring on asthma.
...I don't have to prove anything at all. My comments come from personal experience and also seeing today's report in the Daily Telegraph by The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) which confirms those experiences. This report from the UK confirms reports going back as far as 2006 elsewhere in the world linking these products with asthma and other medical problems.
I would challenge your assertion that the constituent ingredient in the products causing problems is unknown. (See the reference to VOCs in the Telegraph article). It is well documented. and if you also read the extract I posted above you will see that many of these so-called 'air fresheners' are nothing of the sort but contain chemicals which effectively damage the mucous membranes in the nose thereby making it temporarily impossible to smell anything.0 -
To you SteveL it may be a 'scare story'. To me it results in discomfort and difficulty breathing. Hence my request in the OP that the Club rethink their policy.
I think if you are going to contact the club it would be far better to stick to the facts you can prove. In that the discharge of the air fresheners brings on your asthma. As to what component of the freshener does this, that is unknown and irrelevant to
what you are requesting. In my opinion bringing up the possible health risks of these Phthalates will draw the focus away from what you are trying to achieve, the removal of the fresheners because they can bring on asthma....I don't have to prove anything at all. My comments come from personal experience and also seeing today's report in the Daily Telegraph by The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) which
confirms those experiences. This report from the UK confirms reports going back as far as 2006 elsewhere in the world linking these products with asthma and other medical problems.I understand the issue with asthma, I have problems with some heavily fragrant candles and soaps. What we do not know however is if the products used in the facilities contain those specific toxic chemicals mentioned in the reports and articles.
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Fair comment mickysf but if you read the reports it seems extremely likely they do. Even if they don't I think the Club ought to consider the position of people with asthma and COPD who find problems with them whatever they contain At the moment such products are imposed on people who do not want them or find they cause problems for them. That cannot be right.
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Fair comment mickysf
but if you read the reports it seems extremely likely they do. Even if they don't I think the Club ought to consider the position of people with asthma and COPD who find problems with them whatever they contain
At the moment such products are imposed on people who do not want them or find they cause problems for them. That cannot be right.Also an expense to the club that is not needed.
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