This list of resources on the health effects of fragrance chemicals was compiled by Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Library Science Joyce Miller, MLS, MA, CAMS. (Last update: August, 2023)
People may use fragrances to feel more attractive, but it can cause unintended medical distress in others. An October 2016 study reports that 34.7% of the U.S. population surveyed report adverse medical reactions (migraines, asthma, rashes) when exposed to fragrance:
- Fragranced consumer products exposures and effects from emissions;
- Fragranced consumer products: effects on asthmatics, by Dr. Anne Steinemann.
- Dr. Steinemann's 2018 study, cited below, mentions specific asthma triggers, such as fragranced laundry detergent and air fresheners.
- The women's health advoccy organization Women's Voices for the Earth offers this infographic: Get the Facts on Fragrance.
- More studies are cited below.
Fragranced consumer products, such as air fresheners, laundry dryer vent exhaust and cleaning supplies, have been associated with health problems such as asthma attacks and breathing difficulties, found study published in April 2019 by Dr. Steinemann, cited below. The report found that 57.8% of asthmatics report adverse health effects, including asthma attacks, respiratory problems and migraine headaches from exposure to fragranced products. Fragrance-free environments received widespread support by both asthmatics and non-asthmatics. Medical reactions to fragrance chemicals occur around around the world, according to Dr. Steinemann.
Elizabeth Conway write more about this in her Nov. 14, 2016 article How You Can Support Fragrance Free Public Spaces.
More about health effects of fragrance chemicals:
- Work Related Asthma from New York State Department of Health, May 2017
- California Department of Public Health: Work-related Asthma Prevention Program: Fragrances and Work-related Asthma.
- Web MD offers simple, clear information: Fragrance Allergies: A Sensory Assault
- American Lung Association: Asthma
- Dr. Anne Steinemann's articles on health effects of fragranced products in U.S.: http://www.drsteinemann.com/publications.html.
- Her latest research:
Steinemann, A., & Goodman, N. (2019). Fragranced consumer products and effects on asthmatics: an international population-based study. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, (6), 643. Abstract and full-text: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11869-019-00693-w. - Steinemann, A. (2019). Ten questions concerning fragrance-free policies and indoor environments. Building & Environment, 159, 106054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.03.052. Full text available through https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132319302148
Workplace/ADA Accommodations:
- Job Accommodations Network "provides free, confidential technical assistance about job accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to their website. See: Accommodation and Compliance: Fragrance Sensitivity.
More About Health Effects of Fragrance:
- David Suzuki Foundation: Go fragrance-free —Accommodation and Compliance Series:
- News story about Axe Body Spray, Nov. 2013
- Harvard School of Public Health News, Feb. 2014
- Are Scents Making You Sick?: My Fragrance Sensitivity: essay.
- Dales, R. E., Cakmak, S., Leech, J., & Liu, L. (2013). The association between personal care products and lung function. Annals Of Epidemiology, 2349-53. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2012.11.006 Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23305691. Full-text available through ScienceDirect database.
- Formaldehyde: World Health Organization. This links to an Oct. 2015 monograph from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. From page 430: "There is sufficient evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde causes cancer of the nasopharynx and leukaemia. Also, a positive association has been observed between exposure to formaldehyde and sinonasal cancer."
- The women's health organization Women's Voices for the Earth offers these investigative reports:
- Toxic Chemicals Found in Fragrance, Dec. 10, 2015
- Fact Sheet: The Fragrance Industry’s Policy Failures and Trade Secret Myth. (November 2015).
- Unpacking the Fragrance Industry: Policy Failures, the Trade Secret Myth and Public Health. (November 2015).
- Research article: "An olfactory demography of a diverse metropolitan population."
- Choi-Schagrin, W. (2022, Jan. 13). Sometimes, life stinks. so he invented the nasal ranger. New York Times. A chemical engineer who studies smells discusses the science, regulation of smells; includes interviews by researchers studying odor perception at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.
Cell Press. (2013, August 1). We each live in our own little world -- smellwise. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 3, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130801125253.htm - Mcrae, J., Jaeger, S., Bava, C., Beresford, M., Hunter, D., Jia, Y., … Newcomb, R. (2013). Identification of Regions Associated with Variation in Sensitivity to Food-Related Odors in the Human Genome. Current Biology, 23(16), 1596–1600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.07.031. Fulltext: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(13)00854-3.
- Bryson, B. (2020). The head. In The body: a guide for occupants (First United States edition.). Doubleday. [On page 90: Dr. Gary Beauchamp, president emeritus of the University of Pennsylvania's Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, states that "Although we all have 350 to 400 types of odor receptor, only about half of them are common to all people. That means that we don't smell the same things."]
For alternatives to chemically fragranced products:
- The Guide to Less Toxic Products from Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia --
- The book Toxic Free by Debra Dadd-Redalia (2012)
References to the Slideshare Fragrance Sensitivity Slide Show, with additional research articles:
Some sources below are full-text on the web, free. For those that are not, ask a librarian about accessing the article through library databases. Below are also links to some abstracts/summaries.
Allergens of the Year. (2016). American Contact Dermatitis Society. http://www.contactderm.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3467. (Fragrance was the 2007 Allergen of the Year.)
American Lung Association. (2011, November). Asthma in Adults Fact Sheet. Retrieved Sept. 16, 2016 from American Lung Association, http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/learn-about-asthma/asthma-adults-facts-sheet.html
Anderson, R., & Anderson, J. (1998). Acute toxic effects of fragrance products. Archives Of Environmental Health, 53(2), 138-146. Retrieved July 29, 2012 from MEDLINE with Full Text database. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9577937.
Bickers, D., Calow, P., Greim, H., Hanifin, J., Rogers, A., Saurat, J., & Tagami, H. (2003). The safety assessment of fragrance materials. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology: RTP 37(2), 218-273. Retrieved July 26, 2012 from ScienceDirect database. Abstract:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12726755.
Bryson, B. (2020). The head. In The body: a guide for occupants (First United States edition.). Doubleday.
Buckley, D. A. (2007). Fragrance ingredient labelling in products on sale in the U.K. British Journal of Dermatology 157 (2), 295-300. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from Medline with Full-text database. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17573873.
California Department of Public Health. (2019). Fragrances & Work-Related Asthma. Retrieved April 6, 2019 from https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/WRAPP/Pages/Fragrances.aspx#www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/WRAPP/Pages/Fragrances.aspx#.
Copeland, S., & Nugent, K. (2013). Persistent Respiratory Symptoms following Prolonged Capsaicin Exposure. International Journal Of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 4(4), 211-215. Full-text available at: http://www.theijoem.com/ijoem/index.php/ijoem/article/view/349/424
Dadd-Redalia, D. (2012). Toxic Free. New York: Penguin.
Dales, R. E., Cakmak, S., Leech, J., & Liu, L. (2013). The association between personal care products and lung function. Annals Of Epidemiology, 2349-53. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2012.11.006 Full-text available through ScienceDirect database. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23305691.
Darbre P.D. (2018). Overview of air pollution and endocrine disorders. International Journal of General Medicine, 11, 191-207 (2018), 191. Full text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5973437/pdf/ijgm-11-191.pdf.
David Sukuzi Foundation and Canadian Lung Association. (n.d.). “Go Fragrance-free.” David Sukuzi Foundation Website. Retrieved June 29, 2012 from http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/green-your-workplace/go-fragrance-free/
De Vader, C. (2010). Fragrance in the workplace: what managers need to know. Journal of Management & Marketing Research, 1-17. American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences Website. Retrieved July 5, 2011 from http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/09244.pdf and Business Source Complete database.
Dimitroulopoulou, C., Lucica, E., Johnson, A., Ashmore, M., Sakellaris, I., Stranger, M., & Goelen, E. (2015). EPHECT I: European household survey on domestic use of consumer products and development of worst-case scenarios for daily use. The Science Of The Total Environment, 880. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.036 Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26051596
Dimitroulopoulou, C., Trantallidi, M., Carrer, P., Efthimiou, G., & Bartzis, J. (2015). EPHECT II: Exposure assessment to household consumer products. The Science Of The Total Environment, 890. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.138 Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26173853
De Vader, C.L., & P Barker. (2009, February). Fragrance in the workplace is the new second hand smoke. In Proceedings of the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences 16 (1). Retrieved July 5, 2011 from http://www.national-toxic-encephalopathy-foundation.org/fragsmoke.pdf
Dodson, R., Nishioka, M., Standley, L., Perovich, L., Brody, J., & Rudel, R. (2012). Endocrine disruptors and asthma-associated chemicals in consumer products. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(7), 935-943. Retrieved July 25, 2012 from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database. Full text article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404651/.
EPHECT: Emission, Exposure Patterns and Health Effects of Consumer Products in the EU (European Union)- Explanation of study: http://ec.europa.eu/health/healthy_environments/docs/ev_20110614_co01_en.pdf; https://sites.vito.be/sites/ephect/Pages/home.aspx. (Also see Dimitroulopoulou and Trantallidi citations.)
Elberling, J., Linneberg, A., Dirksen, A., Johansen, J., Frølund, L., Madsen, F. & Mosbech, H. (2005). Mucosal symptoms elicited by fragrance products in a population-based sample in relation to atopy and bronchial hyper-reactivity. Clinical and Experimental Allergy: Journal of the British Society For Allergy And Clinical Immunology 35(1), 75-81. Retrieved July 26, 2012 from Medline with Full-text database. Abstract: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2222.2005.02138.x/abstract.
European Commission, Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety. (2012). Public consultation on Fragrance allergens in cosmetic products Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety website. Retrieved August 3, 2012 from http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consultations/public_consultations/sccs_consultation_04_en.htm
European Commission, Directorate-General (DG) for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SME. (2019). Perfume Allergies.Full text: ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/perfume-allergies/en/.
Fact Sheet: The Fragrance Industry’s Policy Failures and Trade Secret Myth. (2015, November). Retrieved from http://www.womensvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Fragrance_Industry_Report_Final.pdf.
Findings from Columbia University Yields New Findings on Dermatitis (North American Contact Dermatitis Group Patch Test Results: 2011-2012). (2015, February 20). Health & Medicine Week, 411. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.sunyacc.edu:2048/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA406366130&v=2.1&u=acc&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=74809847d2defc0cf397884f93f2d300. (Fragrance mix is one of the common causes of allergic contact dermatitis.) Updated data: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25581671.
Fragrance Sensitivity Awareness brochure. (2011, March). University of Tennessee, Knoxville Safety Office Website. Retrieved July 24, 2012 from https://web.archive.org/web/20151010110800/http://web.utk.edu/~ehss/pdf/fsa.pdf.
Genuis, S.J. (15 November 2010). Sensitivity-related illness: The escalating pandemic of allergy, food intolerance and chemical sensitivity. Science of The Total Environment 408 (24), 6047–6061. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.08.047. Abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20920818.
Hussain, T., Al-Attas, O. S., Al-Daghri, N. M., Mohammed, A. A., De Rosas, E., Ibrahim, S., & ... El-Din, K. A. (2014). Induction of CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1, increased oxidative stress and inflammation in the lung and liver tissues of rats exposed to incense smoke. Molecular And Cellular Biochemistry, 391(1-2), 127-136. doi:10.1007/s11010-014-1995-5. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24557852
Is your scent making you ill? Migraines? Asthma?Eczema? Today's obsession with perfuming everything from candles to bin liners could be to blame. (2012, September.). Daily Mail (London, England). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2204745/Is-scent-making-ill-Todays-obsession-perfuming-candles-bin-liners-blame.html
Job Accommodations Network. (2019). Accommodation and Compliance: Fragrance Sensitivity.
https://askjan.org/disabilities/Fragrance-Sensitivity.cfm?cssearch=2428979_1 [JAN provides free, confidential technical assistance about job accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).]
Joseph. B. (2016, Jan. 21). Doubts Raised About Chemical Stew in Fragrances Used in Consumer Products. Available at http://www.fairwarning.org/2016/01/doubts-raised-about-chemical-stew-in-fragrances-used-in-consumer-products/.
Keller, A., Hempstead, M., Gomez, I. A., Gilbert, A. N., & Vosshall, L. B. (2012). An olfactory demography of a diverse metropolitan population. BMC Neuroscience, 13122. doi:10.1186/1471-2202-13-122. Abstract and article: http://bmcneurosci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2202-13-122.
Kessler, R. (2011). Dryer Vents: An Overlooked Source of Pollution?. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(11), A474-A475. Available at: https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.119-a474a.
Kim, T., Park, J., Seo, J., Yoon, H., Lee, B., Lim, H., Lee, D., Kim, P., Yoon, C., Lee, K., & Zoh, K.-D. (2020). Behavioral characteristics to airborne particles generated from commercial spray products. Environment International, 140, N.PAG. (On potential for inhalation exposure.) Abstract: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32371310/. Fulltext: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019343053.
Klaschka, U. (2020). “This perfume makes me sick, but I like it.” Representative survey on health effects associated with fragrances. Environmental Sciences Europe, 32(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-020-00311-y. Full text: https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-020-00311-y
Kogevinas, M., Zock, J., Jarvis, D., Kromhout, H., Lillienberg, L., Plana, E.,_ & Norbäck, D. (2007). Exposure to substances in the workplace and new-onset asthma: an international prospective population-based study (ECRHS-II). Lancet 370(9584), 336-341. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from ScienceDirect database. Abstract and full-text: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607611647/abstract.
Levi, A. (10 March 2017). Why so Many people hate scented products. Retrieved from Health.com. Full text: http://time.com/4695013/fragrance-sensitivity-smell/
Mcrae, J., Jaeger, S., Bava, C., Beresford, M., Hunter, D., Jia, Y., … Newcomb, R. (2013). Identification of Regions Associated with Variation in Sensitivity to Food-Related Odors in the Human Genome. Current Biology, 23(16), 1596–1600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.07.031. Fulltext: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(13)00854-3.
Mathews, A. W. (2016, April 19). Surprise Allergies to ‘Natural’ Skin-Care Products. Wall Street Journal - Online Edition. p. 1. http://www.wsj.com/articles/surprise-allergies-to-natural-skin-care-products-1460999491
McDonald, B.C., de Gouw, J.A., Gilman, J.A., Jathar, S.H., et al (2018, 16 Feb.) Volatile chemical products emerging as largest petrochemical source of urban organic emissions. Science 359 (6377), 760-764. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaq0524 (Abstract available at http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6377/760.)
New York State Department of Health. (2009, February). Asthma overview. New York State Department of Health Website. Retrieved October 25, 2011, from http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/asthma/overview.htm
New York State Department of Health. (2011, May). A guide for employers to New York State's Clean Indoor Air Act. New York State Department of Health Website. Retrieved August 3, 2012 from http://www.health.ny.gov/publications/3403/index.htm
New York State Department of Health. (2009, October) . Information on asthma in New York State: New York State asthma surveillance summary report. New York State Department of Health Website Retrieved July 26, 2012 from http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/ny_asthma/pdf/2009_asthma_surveillance_summary_report.pdf
Noguchi, Yuki. (2015, September 22). What's That Smell?! When Workplaces Try Fragrance Bans. September 22, 2015 Retrieved from
http://www.npr.org/2015/09/22/442189543/what-s-that-smell-when-workplaces-try-fragrance-bans
Parker, M. (2016, Oct. 25). It's Official: Fragrance is Bad for Health and Business .https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/its-official-fragrance-is-bad-for-health-and-business-183127958.html. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2016. (Cites Steinemann article, "Fragrance Consumer Products:" http://www.drsteinemann.com/Articles/Steinemann%202016.pdf.)
Peter, Tom. (2018, Feb. 18) Cleaning products damage women's lungs as badly as a 20-a-day cigarette habit. Retrieved from
http://www.newsweek.com/impact-cleaning-products-lung-health-bad-20-day-cigarette-habit-study-810277
Petsonk, E. L. (2002). Work-related asthma and implications for the general public. Environmental Health Perspectives Supplements 110, 569. Retrieved July 26, 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241208/ and MasterFILE Premier database.
Pierre-Louis, K., Tabuchi, H. (2018, Feb. 16). Want Cleaner Air? Try Using Less Deodorant. New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/climate/perfume-pollution-smog.html
Pratt, M. D., Belsito, D. V., DeLeo, V. A., Fowler, J. J., Fransway, A. F., Maibach, H. I., & ... Zug, K. (2004). North American Contact Dermatitis Group patch-test results, 2001-2002 study period. Dermatitis: Contact, Atopic, Occupational, Drug, 15(4), 176-183. (Fragrance mix is a top 10 allergen, 10.4% of patients developed contact dermatitis from a fragrance mix.) Abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15842061.
Sanghwa, K., Seong-Ho, H., Choon-Keun, B., & Myung-Haing, C. (2015). Characterization of air freshener emission: the potential health effects. Journal Of Toxicological Sciences, 40(5), 535-550. Full text article: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jts/40/5/40_535/_pdf. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26354370
Schlueter, D., Soto, R., Baretta, E., Herrmann, A., Ostrander, L., & Stewart, R. (1979). Airway response to hair spray in normal subjects and subjects with hyperreactive airways. Chest 75(5), 544-548. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1050435 and Medline with Full-text database.
Schnuch, A., Oppel, E., Oppel, T., Römmelt, H., Kramer, M., Riu, E., & Jörres, R. (2010). Experimental inhalation of fragrance allergens in predisposed subjects: effects on skin and airways. The British Journal Of Dermatology, 162(3), 598-606. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from Medline with Full-text database. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19772525
Senthilkumaran, S., Meenakshisundaram, R., Michaels, A. D., Balamurgan, N., & Thirumalaikolundusubramanian, P. (2012). Ventricular fibrillation after exposure to air freshener-death just a breath away. Journal Of Electrocardiology, 45(2), 164-166. doi:10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2011.05.002. Abstract: http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/21696756.
Shim, C. , Williams, Jr., M.H. (1986, January). Effects of odors on asthma. American Journal of Medicine 80: 18-22. Abstract: http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/3079951 (Chart of common asthma triggers: https://web.archive.org/web/20101201103107/http://www.aehf.com/IAQSch/AsthmaTriggers.htm)
Simpson, E. (2011, September 20). Accommodation and Compliance Series: Employees with Fragrance Sensitivity. Job Accommodation Network Website. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from the https://web.archive.org/web/20170123220636/https://askjan.org/media/downloads/FragranceA&CSeries.pdf.
Steinemann, A. (2019). 10 Questions: Ten questions concerning fragrance-free policies and indoor environments. Building and Environment. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132319302148. (This paper presents and answers ten questions to explore fragrance-free policies within indoor built environments. Using a set of 60 fragrance-free policies, it analyzes who, what, where, when, why, and how policies are implemented. It then examines potential benefits of fragrance-free policies, such as avoided costs from illness and lost workdays, as well as challenges.)
Steinemann, A. (2018). Fragranced consumer products: effects on asthmatics. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, (1), 3. doi:10.1007/s11869-017-0536-2
Link to article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-017-0536-2.
Steinemann, A. (2018). Fragranced consumer products: effects on autistic adults in the United States, Australia, and United Kingdom. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, (10), 1137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-018-0625-x. Article available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11869-018-0625-x. (Results show that vulnerable individuals, such as those with autism or autism spectrum disorders, can be profoundly, adversely, and disproportionately affected by exposure to fragranced consumer products.)
Steinemann, A. (2019). Ten questions concerning fragrance-free policies and indoor environments. Building & Environment, 159, 106054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.03.052. Full text available through
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132319302148.
Steinemann, A. (2016, Oct. 20) Fragranced consumer products: exposures and effects from emissions. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health doi:10.1007/s11869-016-0442-z. Retrieved Oct. 26, 2016. Full-text: http://www.drsteinemann.com/Articles/Steinemann%202016.pdf and http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-016-0442-z.
Steinemann, A. (2019). International prevalence of fragrance sensitivity. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, (8), 891. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-019-00699-4. Full text: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11869-019-00699-4
Steinemann, A. C., MacGregor, I. C., Gordon, S. M., Gallagher, L. G., Davis, A. L., Ribeiro, D. S., & Wallace, L. A. (2015). Fragranced consumer products: chemicals emitted; ingredients unlisted. Australasian College Of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine Journal, 34(3), 10-16. Abstract: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222540557_Fragranced_consumer_products_Chemicals_emitted_ingredients_unlisted. Article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195925510001125.
Steinemann, A. (2018). Fragranced consumer products: effects on asthmatics. Air Quality, Atmosphere, & Health, 11(1), 3-9. doi:10.1007/s11869-017-0536-2. Link to full text article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11869-017-0536-2. (This study mentions specific asthma triggers, such as fragranced laundry products.)
Steinemann, A. (2016). Fragranced consumer products: exposures and effects from emissions. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, (8), 861. doi:10.1007/s11869-016-0442-z. Summary of findings: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161024095420.htm. Full-text of article: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11869-016-0442-z.pdf
Steinemann, A. C. (2017). 10 Questions: Ten questions concerning air fresheners and indoor built environments. Building And Environment, 111279-284. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.11.009. Abstract and article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132316304334
Steinemann, A.C., Gallagher L.G., Davis A.L., and MacGregor I.C. (2011). Chemical Emissions from Residential Dryer Vents During Use of Fragranced Laundry Products. Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health. DOI 10.1007/s11869-011-0156-1. Available at: http://www.drsteinemann.com/Articles/Steinemann%20et%20al.%202011.pdf.
Steinemann, A., & Goodman, N. (2019). Fragranced consumer products and effects on asthmatics: an international population-based study. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, (6), 643. Abstract and full-text: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-019-00693-w.
Stocco, C., MacNeill, M., Wang, D., Xu, X., Guay, M., Brook, J., & Wheeler, A. J. (2008). Predicting personal exposure of Windsor, Ontario residents to volatile organic compounds using indoor measurements and survey data. Atmospheric Environment, 42(Selected Papers from the First International Conference on Atmospheric Chemical Mechanisms), 5905-5912. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.03.024. Abstract and article: http://www.academia.edu/28157565/Predicting_personal_exposure_of_Windsor_Ontario_residents_to_volatile_organic_compounds_using_indoor_
measurements_and_survey_data.
Ternesten-Hasséus, E., Lowhagen, O., & Millqvist, E. (2007). Quality of life and capsaicin sensitivity in patients with airway symptoms induced by chemicals and scents: a longitudinal study. Environmental Health Perspectives 115(3), 425-429. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from Medline
Full-text database. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17431493.
Torén, K., & Blanc, P. (2009). Asthma caused by occupational exposures is common - a systematic analysis of estimates of the population-attributable fraction. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 97. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from Medline Full-text database. Abstract and full text article here.
Trantallidi, M., Dimitroulopoulou, C., Wolkoff, P., Kephalopoulos, S., & Carrer, P. (2015). EPHECT III: Health risk assessment of exposure to household consumer products. Science Of The Total Environment, 536903-913. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.123. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26277440
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, July 12) Indoor Environmental Quality: Chemicals and Odors. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Website. Retrieved August 3, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/ChemicalsOdors.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2012, July 23). Asthma: EPA's Coordinated Approach on Asthma. Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency Website. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from http://www.epa.gov/asthma/index.html
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2005). Dockets FDA, 99P-1340. Food and Drug Administration Website. Retrieved July 31, 2012 from http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/99p1340/99P-1340_emc-000577.txt
Uhde, E., & Schulz, N. (2015). Impact of room fragrance products on indoor air quality. Atmospheric Environment, 106492-502. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.11.020. Abstract: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015AtmEn.106..492U.
Unpacking the Fragrance Industry: Policy Failures, the Trade Secret Myth and Public Health. (2015, November). Retrieved from http://www.womensvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Fragrance_Industry_Report_Final.pdf.
Wöber, C., Holzhammer, J., Zeithofer, J., & Wessely, P. (2006). Trigger factors of migraine and tension-type headache: experience and knowledge of the patients. Journal Of Headache & Pain, 7(4), 188-195. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16897622.
Wolkoff, P., & Nielsen, G. D. (2017). Effects by inhalation of abundant fragrances in indoor air – An overview. Environment International, 10196-107. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2017.01.013 Abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28126407
Selected Additional References:
American Lung Association, American Medical Association, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, & U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Indoor Air Pollution: Introduction for Health Professionals. (CPSC Document #455.) Retrieved July 28, 2012 from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: https://web.archive.org/web/20160305082521/http://www.cpsc.gov:80/en/Safety-Education/Safety-Guides/Home/Indoor-Air-Pollution-Introduction-for-Health-Professionals.
Api, A. M., Belsito, D., Bruze, M., Cadby, P., Calow, P., Dagli, M. L., & ... Wilcox, D. K. (2015). Criteria for the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Inc. (RIFM) safety evaluation process for fragrance ingredients. Food And Chemical Toxicology: An International Journal Published For The British Industrial Biological Research Association, 82 SupplS1-S19. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2014.11.014. Abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25510979.
Basketter, D. A., Huggard, J., & Kimber, I. (2019). Fragrance inhalation and adverse health effects: The question of causation. Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology: RTP, 104, 151–156. Abstract: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30904429/.
Baur, X., Aasen, T., Burge, P., Heederik, D., Henneberger, P., Maestrelli, P., & ... Wilken, D. (2012). The management of work-related asthma guidelines: a broader perspective. European Respiratory Review: An Official Journal Of The European Respiratory Society 21 (124), 125-139. Retrieved July 28, 2012, from European Respiratory Review http://err.ersjournals.com/content/21/124/125.full#ref-2
Becher, R., Hongslo, J. K., Jantunen, M. J., & Dybing, E. (1996). Environmental chemicals relevant for respiratory hypersensitivity: the indoor environment. Toxicology Letters, 86(2-3), 155-162. Abstract: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8711767/.
Bornehag, C., Sundell, J., Weschler, C. J., Sigsgaard, T., Lundgren, B., Hasselgren, M., & Hägerhed-Engman, L. (2004). The Association between Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dust: A Nested Case--Control Study. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112 (14), 1393-1397. Retrieved July 26, 2012 from Academic Search Complete database.
Brooks, S., Hammad, Y., Richards, I., Giovinco-Barbas, J., & Jenkins, K. (1998). The spectrum of irritant-induced asthma: sudden and not-so-sudden onset and the role of allergy. Chest 113(1), 42-49. Retrieved February 28, 2012 from http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1071243 and MEDLINE with Full Text database.
Caress, S., & Steinemann, A. (2009). Prevalence of fragrance sensitivity in the American population. Journal Of Environmental Health 71(7), 46-50. Retrieved July 26, 2012 from University of Washington, https://web.archive.org/web/20130116055823/http:/depts.washington.edu/exposure/Caress%20and%20Steinemann%202009.pdf
Clausen PA. (2020). Chemicals inhaled from spray cleaning and disinfection products and their respiratory effects. A comprehensive review. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 229, 113592. Full-text: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438463920305381
Dales, R.E., Cakmak, S., Leech, J., Liu, L. (2013, February). The association between personal care products and lung function. Annals of Epidemiology, 23 (2), 49-53,, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2012.11.006. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1047279712004267) Abstract: http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/23305691/The_association_between_personal_care_products_and_lung_function_.
European Commission pushes to drastically increase allergen list. (2012). Perfumer & Flavorist 37(3), 10. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from Associates Programs Source database.
Fitterman, L. (2013 Summer). Scents & sensitivity. Allergic Living, 50-54. (Includes interview with Joyce Miller.)
Green, C. (2019, Dec. 13) For every one you see, there are a hundred you don’t see: fragrance sensitivity, disability, and UNF
UNF Spinnaker (Student News Site of University of North Florida). Retrieved from https://unfspinnaker.com/80591/latest-stories/for-every-one-you-see-there-are-a-hundred-you-dont-see-fragrance-sensitivity-disability-and-unf/
Lessenger, J. (2001). Occupational acute anaphylactic reaction to assault by perfume spray in the face. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice / American Board of Family Practice, 14(2), 137-140. Retrieved July 26, 2012 from http://www.jabfm.org/content/14/2/137.full.pdf+html
Niles, M.T. & Lubell, M. (2012, April 9). Integrative Frontiers in Environmental Policy Theory and Research. Policy Studies Journal 40, 41–64. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from Business Source Complete database. Abstract: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1541-0072.2012.00445.x/abstract
Prisco, J., Quijano, M. (2013, March 4). What smells good to one Staten Islander may cause severe physical distress to another. Staten Island Advance. (Includes interview with Joyce Miller.) Available at: http://www.silive.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2013/03/what_smells_good_to_one_may_cause_severe_physical_distress_to_another.html.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies. (2010, December 20). Asthma and Allergies: Exacerbation of Asthma Research Website. Retrieved July 25, 2012, from https://web.archive.org/web/20211016162430/https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/asthma/exacerbat-research.html.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Division of Respiratory Disease Studies. (2010, July 12). Workplace Safety & Health Topics: Indoor Environmental Quality. Retrieved July 28, 2012 from https://web.archive.org/web/20170121070859/http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/default.html.
University of Toronto. (2009). Towards a Scent-reduced University Environment. Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Retrieved September 4, 2012 from http://www.socialwork.utoronto.ca/students/health/scentfree.htm Internet Archive copy of past guidelines: https://web.archive.org/web/20150907183509/http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/health-safety/information-campaigns/u-t-scent-free-guideline.
(See this event for sample fragrance-free request wording: Rethinking Robotics: Worms, tongues and elephant trunks | Alumni (utoronto.ca)).
Urbina, Ian. (2013, Apr 14). "Think those chemicals have been tested?" New York Times. ProQuest. Web. 18 Aug. 2013.Full text available in New York Times subscription database; http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/sunday-review/think-those-chemicals-have-been-tested.html?_r=0
Waserman, S., Keith, P., Caress, S. M., & Steinemann, A. C. (2009). Fragrance Sensitivity Article Questioned. Journal of Environmental Health, 71(9),
51-52.
Wolkoff, P., & Nielsen, G. D. (2017). Effects by inhalation of abundant fragrances in indoor air - An overview. Environment International, doi:10.1016/j.envint.2017.01.013. Abstract available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28126407.
Zirwas, M., & Moennich, J. (2009). Shampoos. Dermatitis: Contact, Atopic, Occupational, Drug, 20(2), 106-110. Discusses contact allergies due to shampoos. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19426617
Bibliography created August 2012. Updated April, August, November 2013; January 2014, Feb. 2014, Feb. 2015, October 2015, February 2016, May 2016, June 2016, September 2016, Oct. 2016, Nov. 2016, Dec. 2016, June 2017, July 2017, August 2017, January 2018, Sept. 2018, April 2019, August 2019, October 2019, March 2020, June 2020, March 2024.