In the News

1
In the News

• LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City is sued by a
  former nurse. She claimed her co-workers perfume
  made her sick.
• In Nova Scotia, Canada an 84 year old woman was
  escorted from a council meeting for dabbing
  perfume behind her ears.
• A 17 year old high school student was arrested
  for repeatedly violating policy banning perfumes,
  after-shave and scented hair sprays after a
  teacher complained his fragrances made her
  physically ill.

2
Whats The Big Deal?
3
Fragrance Fragrance Sensitivities

• The Health and Environmental Dangers of
  Fragrances

4
Objectives

• Asthma Epidemic
• Educate about the serious health concerns
  related to fragrances
• Increase awareness of chemicals used in fragrance
  formulas
• A look at the Fragrance Industry
• Environmental effects of fragrances
• What Can You Do To Help?

5
The Asthma Epidemic

• 155 million people world wide have asthma.
• 26.3 million Americans have been diagnosed with
  asthma.
• An estimated 1 billion is lost annually in
  productivity by working parents caring for sick
  children due to asthma
• 72 state their asthma and recurrent attacks are
  directly related to fragrances.

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CDCs National Center for Health Statistics 1998

• 10.6 million Americans had an asthmatic episode.
• 14 million had physician visits due to asthma
  related incidents.
• 2 million emergency room visits
• 500,000 hospitalizations
• 5,438 deaths

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Number of Asthma Diagnosed Cases 1982-1994

• Over 14 million Americans have been diagnosed
  with Asthma
• Rate of Asthma has increased 74 between 1982 -
  1994 for children aged 5-14 years old
• Rate of Asthma for preschool children increased
  by 160

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Deaths Due To Asthma 1979 - 1998

• Deaths increased by 55.6
• Deaths among children age 5-14 more than doubled

9
Economic Cost of Asthma Direct Medical
Indirect Expenditures Year 2000 (in billions)

• Direct Medical Expenses
• Hospital Care
• Inpatient 3,474.9
• Emergency 656.1
• Outpatient 421.2
• Physician 1,093.5
• Medication 2,446.2
• Total 8,091.9

• Indirect Costs
• School days lost 1,495.0
• Loss of Work 1,412.2
• Mortality 1,692.8
• Total 4,600
  

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All of this from a little fragrance?
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Fragrance Facts
95 of materials used in fragrances today are
synthetic compounds derived from petroleum or
coal tar. They include benzene, aldehydes and
many other known toxins and sensitizers which can
cause cancer, birth defects, central nervous
system disorders and allergic reactions.
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What Products Have Fragrance?
Perfume/Cologne Cosmetics Toiletries Household
Products Laundry Products Air
Fresheners Candles
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Common Fragrance Ingredients Physical Symptoms
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Acetone
Cologne, dishwashing liquid and detergent, nail
enamel remover. On the EPA Hazardous Waste
List Inhalation causes dizziness, nausea,
incoordination, slurred speech, and in severe
exposures, coma. Acts primarily as a central
nervous system depressant.
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Benzyl Acetate
Perfume, cologne, shampoo, fabric softener,
stickup air freshener, dishwashing liquid
and detergent, soap, hairspray, bleach, after
shave and deodorants. Carcinogenic linked to
pancreatic cancer. Irritating to eyes and
respiratory passages. Do not flush to sewer.
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Benzyl Alcohol
Perfume, cologne, soap, shampoo, nail enamel
remover, air freshener, laundry bleach and
detergent, vaseline lotion, deodorants, fabric
softener. Irritating to the upper respiratory
tract, headache, nausea, vomiting, drop in blood
pressure, depression, and in severe cases death
due to respiratory failure.
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Camphor
Perfume, shaving cream, nail enamel, fabric
softener, dishwasher detergent, nail color,
stickup air freshener. Local irritant and
central nervous system stimulant. Irritation of
eyes, nose and throat, causes dizziness, confusion
, nausea, twitching of muscles and
convulsions. Avoid inhalation of vapors.
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A-Terpineol
Perfume, cologne, laundry detergent, bleach
powder, laundry bleach, fabric softener, stickup
air freshener, vaseline lotion, cologne soap,
hairspray, after shave and roll-on
deodorant. Highly irritating to mucous
membranes. Aspiration into the lungs can produce
pneumonitis or even fatal edema. Can also cause
loss of muscle coordination, hypothermia, Central
Nervous System and respiratory depression and
headache. Prevent repeated or prolonged skin
contact.
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Limonene
Used as a solvent in degreasing metals prior to
industrial painting, for cleaning in the
electronic and printing industries, and as a
solvent in paint. Also used as a flavor and
fragrance additive in food, household cleaning
products, and perfume.
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Fabric Softener Dangers
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Chloroform
Neurotoxic. Anesthetic. Carcinogenic. On
EPAs Hazardous Waste List. Avoid contact with
eyes, skin, clothing. Do not breathe vapors.
Inhalation of vapors may cause headache,
nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness,
irritation of respiratory tract and loss of
consciousness. Inhalation can be fatal. Chronic
effects of overexposure may include kidney
and/or liver damage. Conditions to avoid
HEAT.
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Pentane
Harmful if inhaled extremely flammable. Keep
away from heat. Avoid breathing vapor.
Inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea,
vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of
respiratory tract and loss of consciousness. Repe
ated inhalation of vapors may cause central
nervous system depression.
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Fabric Softener Dangers
Central Nervous System exposure symptoms
include Blurred Vision Dizziness Headaches
Hunger Memory Loss Numbness in Face Pain
in Neck Spine
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Fabric Softener Dangers
Central Nervous System disorders
include Alzheimers Disease Attention
Deficit Disorder Dementia Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity Multiple Sclerosis Parkinsons
Disease Seizures Strokes Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome (SIDS)
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In 1986 the National Academy of Sciences targeted
fragrances as one of the six categories of
chemicals that should be given high priority for
neurotoxicity.
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Who is Regulating the Fragrance Industry?
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Fragrance Industry Regulation
According to the FDA no government agency
regulates the fragrance industry. In 1992 John
Baily, PhD, Director, Colors and Cosmetics, FDA
stated in an interview,The fragrance and
cosmetic industry is the least-regulated
industry. There is no pre-clearing of chemicals
with any agency.The Fragrance Industry would sue
the FDA if it attempted to remove any fragrance
from the marketplace even with thousands of
complaints.
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A Closer Look At The Fragrance Industry
FDA regulations covers fragranced personal care
products, perfumes, and cosmetics only after they
are put on the market. By law the ingredients of
a product must be listed on the label. Fragrance
formulas do not have to be disclosed. This
protects the secrecy of the formula. Only the
word fragrance must appear. This fragrance
portion may contain over 100 different chemicals.
The FDA has only banned 10 ingredients from being
used as a fragrance. Legally, any other chemical
can be used. Many perfumes contain preservatives
and pesticides to repel insects. Products that
claim to be fragrance-free means that no odor
is detectable. Fragrance ingredients can be
added to a fragrance-free cosmetic to cover up
any odor that originates from the raw materials
used within the product.
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A Closer Look At The Fragrance Industry

The FDA depends on the fragrance industry to self
regulate and voluntarily eliminate any ingredient
that has been shown to be a problem for
consumers. The FDA does not require companies to
register, file the ingredients used or keep a
record of injuries related to the use of their
products. This is done on a voluntary
basis. The FDA does not have any regulatory
authority to require safety testing of any
product before it goes on the market. If the FDA
believes a product is unsafe it must go to court
and prove the product needs to be removed from
the marketplace.
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Environmental Concerns Water Supply
Fragrances are drained into the public water
supply by bathing, washing clothes, and washing
dishes. Most wastewater treatment methods do not
remove fragranced compounds. These end up in
our streams and rivers. These compounds are then
absorbed in the fatty tissue of fish, etc. which
we then ingest.
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Environmental Concerns Air Pollution
Synthetic compounds from airborne fragrances are
constantly being inhaled. Fragrance as an indoor
air pollutant has the potential to affect
everyone. Fragrances are complex mixtures of
volatile organic compounds (VOCs). According
to the California Air Resources Board in 1990 265
tons of VOCs were released into the
California air supply from consumer products EACH
DAY! Virtually every health organization and
agency concerned with respiratory health lists
fragrances as a trigger for asthma.
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ADA Guidelines
Many people are finding that fragrance is
becoming a barrier to accessing transportation,
work, medical care, supermarkets and may other
public places. In 2000 the U. S. Architectural
Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Adopted
a Fragrance- Free Policy.
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What Can You Do?

• Replace household products with fragrance free
  and
• less toxic products
• Choose personal care products that do not contain
• fragrance. Check labels since many unscented
  and
• fragrance-free products still contain masking
• fragrance.
• Educate family and friends about the dangers of
• fragranced items.

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Conclusion

• There is widespread use and exposure to
  fragranced products.
• Fragrance is becoming a national health and
  environmental concern.
• Currently there are no controls in place for the
  regulation of the fragrance industry.
• Education regarding the negative effects of
  fragranced products is needed.

35
In the News

• LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City is sued by a
  former nurse. She claimed her co-workers perfume
  made her sick.
• In Nova Scotia, Canada an 84 year old woman was
  escorted from a council meeting for dabbing
  perfume behind her ears.
• A 17 year old high school student was arrested
  for repeatedly violating policy banning perfumes,
  after-shave and scented hair sprays after a
  teacher complained his fragrances made her
  physically ill.