Many cleansing products labelled as “green” emit just as many harmful chemicals as regular products, latest research has revealed.
Researchers say there must be higher regulation and more guidance for consumers about how protected cleansing products really are.
Potentially harmful
The study, published by The Royal Society of Chemistry within the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impact, found that fragranced cleansing products will be potentially harmful for the air quality in people’s homes.
Cleansing products emit a big selection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including some that are hazardous or can undergo chemical transformations to generate harmful secondary pollutants. In recent times, “green” cleaners have turn into increasingly popular, with an implicit assumption that these are higher for our health and the environment. However the University of York research found this was not the case.
Secondary pollutants
As a part of the study, the VOC composition of 10 regular and 13 green cleaners was examined by researchers. Green cleaners generally emitted more monoterpenes than regular cleaners, leading to increases in harmful secondary pollutant concentrations following use, equivalent to formaldehyde and peroxyacyl nitrates.
The study found that the fragrance ingredients of those products were the source of the volatile monoterpenes. As levels of all these pollutants increase in the house, susceptible people can develop respiration problems or irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, or skin. Repeated exposure to high concentrations of formaldehyde can possibly result in cancer in some cases.
Misleading consumers
Ellen Harding-Smith, Environmental Chemistry researcher from the Department of Environment & Geography, said: “Our research found there is no such thing as a strong evidence to suggest that clean green products are higher for indoor air quality in comparison with regular products.
“In actual fact, there was little or no difference. Many consumers are being misled by the marketing of those products and might be damaging the air quality of their homes consequently — potentially putting their health in danger. For therefore many products on the supermarket shelves, green does not imply clean.”
Compositional differences
The research was funded by the EPSRC and the project is named IMPeCCABLE. It’s a collaboration between the University of York’s Department of Environment and Geography, the Department of Chemistry, and the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory.
Miss Harding-Smith, who’s PhD Candidate, added: “The study highlights potential compositional differences within the formulations of normal and green cleaners, for which there’s currently little or no information on within the available literature.
Mitigating harm
“Manufacturers really have to be a lot clearer about what’s in these products and clarify find out how to mitigate their harm. For instance, just improving ventilation and opening windows when using these cleansing products makes air quality at home so significantly better.”
