Abstract
BackgroundFragranced consumer products—such as cleaning supplies, laundry products, perfumes, and air fresheners—have been associated with adverse effects on personal health and with subsequent societal effects. This study investigates self-reported effects associated with exposures to fragranced consumer products in Germany. Using a nationally representative population-based sample (n = 1102), data were collected in March 2019 using an online survey of adults in Germany. Special questions allowed to differentiate the answers given by various vulnerable subgroups of the general population with the intention to better understand their specific situations.ResultsOne out of five persons (19.9%) indicates to be fragrance-sensitive. More than half of these persons (55.3%) report respiratory problems and more than a third of them (35.6%) declare mucosal problems. Three out of four autists report to be fragrance-sensitive. Half of the general population (55.6%) think of products with natural fragrance ingredients to be healthier than products with synthetic fragrance ingredients and do not know that this is a wrong assumption. Even more people who report adverse health effects have this wrong impression. People who describe negative health effects caused by fragrances indicate to be exposed by their own use to a similar or even higher extent (up to 98.6%) compared to the general population (96.9%). Slightly more men say that they read the references to the products to get information about the fragrance ingredients compared to women. Three quarters of the population use fragrances to feel more attractive, but still 7.6% report respiratory problems when exposed to fragrances.ConclusionsThe high number of individuals who report to experience health problems upon exposure to fragranced products needs to be taken serious and further actions are urgent. Present risk communication measures do not seem to be sufficient to induce appropriate risk reduction behavior in affected persons.
Highlights
Fragranced consumer products—such as cleaning supplies, laundry products, perfumes, and air fresheners—have been associated with adverse effects on personal health and with subsequent societal effects
Health effects: respiratory and mucosal problems are predominant This survey is the first study of this kind that was conducted in Germany [8]
In Germany, studies on health effects caused by fragrances focused on skin effects, and they concentrated on cosmetic products or washing and cleaning products
Summary
Fragranced consumer products—such as cleaning supplies, laundry products, perfumes, and air fresheners—have been associated with adverse effects on personal health and with subsequent societal effects. The increasing knowledge led to several legal restrictions of various fragrance ingredients which are forbidden or may be used at lower thresholds. These international results were the stimulus to add some further questions in the most recent nationally. The intention was to find out whether there are differences between the general public and vulnerable persons, e.g., people reporting asthma or being fragrance-sensitive. When do these people use fragranced products? Do people who read references, people who prefer fragrance-free products and people who are fragrance-sensitive or experience any other health effect reduce their exposure to fragrances? My hypotheses led me to the following questions: Are dermal effects induced by fragrances in personal care products the most frequently reported effects? Do persons who prefer fragrance-free products have considerably less fragrance-induced health effects? Do especially younger persons and women of all ages read the references on products to learn more about fragrance ingredients? Do people who read references, read them because they are fragrance-sensitive? Are people who read the references and people who observe health effects due to fragrances better informed about the chemistry and the legal provisions of fragrances? Do people, who consider products with natural fragrance ingredients as healthier, assume that these products would not emit hazardous air pollutants? Do people who read references, people who prefer fragrance-free products and people who are fragrance-sensitive or experience any other health effect reduce their exposure to fragrances?
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