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Your Favorite Scented Cleaner Could Be Filling the Air With Invisible Pollution
Even botanical and essential oil-based cleaners can release fragrance compounds that react with indoor ozone, creating an unexpected source of ultrafine air pollution. The scent of a freshly cleaned home may hide a burst of invisible pollution that can penetrate deep into the lungs. Fragrance chemicals released by common cleaners can react with ozone in indoor air within minutes, according to research led by Brandon Boor. The reaction occurred with both conventional products and botanical essential oil-based alternatives, showing that a natural label does not necessarily prevent this type of pollution. The researchers found that routine activities such as mopping floors, spraying counters, and wiping surfaces can generate billions or even trillions of nanoparticles. Because the particles are too small to see and often escape detection by home air quality monitors, people may unknowingly inhale them while cleaning. When a Clean Scent Becomes Air Pollution “We showed that indoor ozone reactions with fragrances from cleaning produce nanoparticles that carry a respiratory dose comparable to, or greater than, what you would experience from standing outside along a busy road,” said Boor, an assistant professor of civil and construction engineering at Purdue University who studies indoor air quality. “The particles are different...