Opening details

Literally hundreds of compounds are used in all of the above treatments. Not only do some of these pose health concerns in their own right, but even the least problematic ones can react with substances in the environment to form new pollutants of largely unknown toxicity, according to a study published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters.

A study conducted by scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland analyzed in detail the emissions from the use of many popular personal care products, as well as the reactions they undergo in a typical indoor environment.

discovered More than 200 different types of volatile organic compounds with concentrations of a few parts per million. Although the vast majority of compounds are thought to be harmless, especially at low concentrations, some of the most prominent classes of chemicals reacts rapidly to form secondary organic aerosolsResults that scientists are not currently ready to call safe. They say some molecules “form new particles that can coagulate into larger ultrafine particles that settle in our lungs.”

In my opinion, we still don’t fully understand the health effects of these pollutants, but they may be more harmful than we think, especially since they are applied close to our respiratory tract. This is an area where new toxicological studies are needed.
– says EPFL engineer Dushan Litsyna.

What is it all connected to? With ozone, scientists say. Many modern homes and offices have at least one or two sources of ozone molecular oxygen (O₃), is often emitted by printers and copiers and, ironically, air purifiers. Even in locations where ozone-generating equipment is not available, many outdoor pollutants react with sunlight to create ozone, and ozone can enter the building through windows and ventilation systems.

Although ozone is similar to the oxygen our bodies need to breathe, The third oxygen atom makes it relatively unstable, allowing it to react easily with volatile organic compounds.for example, monoterpenes in conditioning sprays.

Litsina and his team purchased samples of spray deodorant, hand lotion, roll-on deodorant, perfume, and spray dry shampoo to identify all potential contaminants resulting from reactions between ozone and volatile compounds in personal care products. Two different types of experiments were then conducted.

• A series of tests evaluated emissions from each product applied to a person standing in a simulated room or to a fabric left in the room for an hour.
• In a second series of tests, ozone was injected at approximately 35-40 parts per billion and the results of reactions related to emissions from each personal care product were measured.

In all but one case, a literal “smoke” of particles was created. Only the roll-on deodorant that did not spray anything into the air did not exhibit this behavior. The reaction rate of new particle formation was significantly higher than that typically reported in outdoor air quality studies in urban or remote areas.

what now

Given the growing concern about the impact of tiny particles in the air on our health in a surprisingly short period of time, the realization that we could be creating such pollution every time we do our hair or spray on perfume should make us think twice.

Litsina believes that “we need to reduce our dependence on these products or, if possible, replace them with more natural alternatives containing aromatic compounds with low chemical reactivity.”