Watch Your Breath! Air Fresheners May Poison Indoor Air

BANGALORE: Cleaning products and air fresheners, which provide a pleasant smell to your house, may also spike indoor aerosol levels and hamper the quality of air, a new study has warned.

"Some of the same chemical reactions that occur in the atmosphere as a result of smog and ozone are actually taking place in your house while you are cleaning," researchers said.

In a new study, researchers took a closer look at these reactions, which involve an organic compound- called limonene- that provides the pleasant smell of cleaning products and air fresheners.

Some of the same chemical reactions that occur in the atmosphere as a result of smog and ozone are actually taking place in your house while you are cleaning (Photo: Shutterstock)

The research helps determine what byproducts these sweet-smelling compounds are adding to the air while we are using them to remove germs and odours.

Secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) are microscopic particles created when ozone reacts with volatile organic gases such as limonene- the chemical name for the smell of oranges- or its cousin alpha-pinene, which is part of the smell of pine trees.

"SOAs can come from ozone reactions with numerous sources, especially with compounds called terpenes that produce the scents we associate with cleaners, pine, lavender, and oranges," Michael Waring, an assistant professor in Drexel University's College of Engineering, said.