Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and Environmental Illness

As many as 50 million people in the United States suffer from allergic disease (AAAAI).

In 1998, it was estimated that 26.3 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma in their lifetime (ALA of Texas).

The Institute of Medicine placed fragrance in the same category as second hand smoke in triggering asthma in adults and school age children (FPINVA, By Design).

Up to 72% of asthmatics report their asthma is triggered by fragrance. Asthmatics and others that are negatively impacted by fragrance often have difficulties working, obtaining medical care, and going about activities of daily living because of others' use of scented products (FPINVA).

Approximately 12.6% of the population suffers from multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), a condition in which they experience reactions from exposure to low concentrations of common chemicals" (Adams).

[MCS is] marked by multiple symptoms in multiple organ systems (usually the neurological, immune, respiratory, skin, 'GI,' and/or musculoskeletal) that recur chronic-ally in response to multiple chemical exposures. MCS Symptoms commonly include difficulty breathing, sleeping and/or concentrating, memory loss, migraines, nausea, abdominal pain, chronic fatigue, aching joints and muscles, and irritated eyes, nose, ears, throat and/or skin. In addition, some with MCS show impaired balance and increased sensitivity not just to odors but also to loud noises, bright lights, touch, extremes of heat and cold, and electromagnetic fields (MCRR).

[It is estimated that ] more than 5.2 million [with MCS] may lose jobs as a result (Adams)

For the average person, breathing in fragrances from perfumes, colognes, hair sprays, deodorants, air fresheners and/or cleaners can just be a little annoying, "...but for a growing number of others, these smells, called 'emissions of volatile organic compounds,' can be a form of torment that throws their bodies into reactive overdrive. One whiff of a chemical cocktail...can result in a vast array of debilitating symptoms" (Ephraim).

"Even if the general population isn't likely to suffer acute effects from exposure to fragrances, there are long-term chronic health effects connected to these chemicals that we don't fully understand yet," says [Carrie] Loewenherz [an industrial hygienist for the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health] (Lyman).

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© 2006 CIAC

Perfume formulations changed sometime around the late 70s and early 80s. Today, they are approximately 95-100% synthetic (man-made) (Pitts, Featured Author). Using crude oil or turpentine oil as the base material, synthetics are usually derived from chemical reactions (Bridges).

Perfumes, colognes, and many other scented products contain an abundance of harmful chemicals, many of which are listed on the EPA's Hazardous Waste List. They also include numerous carcinogenic chemicals, neurotoxins, respiratory irritants, solvents, aldehydes, hundreds of untested and unregulated petrochemicals, phthalates (which can act as hormone disrupters), narcotics, and much more (Pitts, Featured).

By design, fragrances are composed of materials that quickly get into the air. Once in the air, these materials pose serious health concerns for many with asthma, allergies, migraines, chronic lung disease, and other health conditions (FPINVA, By Design).

Approximately 95% of chemicals used in fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum (USHR).

Petroleum based chemicals are being found to cause significant attritional effects to the nervous system and immune system after prolonged exposure. Illnesses identified in the medical research include adult and child cancers, numerous neurological disorders, immune system weakening, autoimmune disorders, asthma, allergies, infertility, miscarriage, and child behavior disorders including learning disabilities, mental retardation, hyperactivity and ADD (attention deficit disorders) (Pressinger and Sinclair).

[In 1991 a study performed by the EPA] Identification of Polar Volatile Organic Compounds in Consumer Products and Common Microenvironments, found numerous chemicals commonly used in fragrance products, including, among others: acetone; benzaldehyde; benzyl acetate; benzyl alcohol; camphor; ethanol; ethyl acetate; limonene; linalool; methylene chloride, one or all of which, or in combination with one another, cause, when inhaled, "central nervous system disorders, dizziness, nausea, incoordination, slurred speech, drowsiness, irritation to the mouth, throat, eyes, skin, lungs and GI tract, kidney damage, headache, respiratory failure, ataxia, and fatigue, among other symptoms and illnesses." Material Safety Data Sheets on each chemical confirm these findings (Dewey).

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© 2006 The Cleaner Indoor Air Campaign

More than 80 percent of the chemical ingredients in these products have never been tested to see if they are poisonous to humans. Some have been tested only minimally (LA).

By all accounts, the fragrance industry is primarily self-regulated. Safety tested before marketing is not required and ingredients used in fragrance formulas do not have to be disclosed even to regulatory agencies. In general fragrance is a very low priority among regulatory agencies and there is little monitoring of compliance or enforcement of laws that are in place. There is a self-regulatory system in place within the fragrance industry. Compliance with recommendations are voluntary and rarely monitored (FPINVA, Facts and Fiction).

The fragrance industry has traditionally been a very secretive industry. For decades secrecy was required to protect fragrance formulas from being copied by others. Fragrance formulas are considered 'trade secrets' and do not have to be revealed to anyone, including regulatory agencies. The secrecy of the industry has lead to tremendous problems in terms of regulation, monitoring, and impact on those that have problems from fragrance (FPINVA, By Design).

The Cosmetic Regulations state that within 10 days after starting to sell a product, a list of ingredients must be provided. 'Fragrance' is considered a specific ingredient, and no disclosure of the potentially hundreds of chemicals within the fragrance is required (QGBS).

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© 2006 The Cleaner Indoor Air Campaign

But You LOOK Good A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living with Chronic Illness and Pain. This 52 page booklet helps loved ones with what to say, what not to say and how to help people living with debilitating conditions.

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