Fresh Clean Scent: Hidden Pollution in Home Air

Research shows that pleasant scents from cleaning and fragrant products are not necessarily a sign of clean indoor air. Fragrance compounds in these products can react with ozone in indoor air and produce ultrafine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs.

According to ambassador Arjan; Research findings led by Brandon Boor, assistant professor of civil and building engineering at Purdue University, show that aromatic chemicals emitted from common detergents can react with ozone in indoor air within minutes. This reaction occurs with both conventional products and herbal substitutes containing essential oils; That is, the natural label on detergents does not necessarily prevent this type of contamination.

The researchers found that everyday tasks such as mopping the floor, spraying surfaces, and wiping down towels can produce billions or even trillions of ultrafine particles. These particles are too small to be seen and are often hidden from home air quality monitoring devices; Because of this, people may accidentally inhale them when cleaning.

When the good smell turns into air pollution

"We've shown that when fragrances in detergents react with indoor ozone, they produce fine particles that a person may inhale as much as standing on the side of a busy street, or even more," says Burr, who studies indoor air quality. These particles differ in composition, but the overall amount of exposure can be higher. You don't see smoke, dust or fog in the air; Instead, you think the air smells good, so it must be clean.

Burr and Ernest Blatchley, a professor at Purdue University, investigated what happens when scented detergents are combined with ultraviolet (UV-C) disinfecting lamps. These lamps are designed to disinfect the air, but their reaction with oxygen can also produce ozone; A gas that is itself a pollutant.

For this experiment, the researchers renovated a small house at Purdue University that had a kitchen, wooden floors, and a bathroom. The house allowed them to study chemical reactions inside the house under realistic, but controlled conditions.

Tests showed that these lamps increased the concentration of ozone to about 20 to 40 parts per billion; That is, for every billion air molecules, 20 to 40 ozone molecules. This level was about the same as the ozone concentration in outdoor air, although slightly lower. When this extra ozone combined with the abundant terpenes of the fragrance detergents, even more ultrafine particles were formed. Terpenes are aromatic compounds that are released by plants and are abundant in essential oils.

Simple ways to reduce exposure

These findings do not mean that cleaning harmful microbes from surfaces is unimportant; Rather, it shows that some cleaning methods, along with improving hygiene, can change the air inside the house in an imperceptible way.

To reduce this exposure, you can do a few simple things:

Using fragrance-free or fragrance-free products.

Reducing the number of scented detergents used in one turn.

Better ventilation by opening the windows or turning on the fan.

Researchers also recommend not using scented detergents when working with ozone generators, including UV lamps.

Cleaning surfaces kills viruses and bacteria, but it can also produce invisible air pollution, Bohr says. While you don't see any dust or smoke in the air, these particles are forming.

The researchers presented their results at the Healthy Indoor Spaces: Bridging Microflora and Chemistry meeting at the American Chemical Society (ACS) fall meeting.