Fragranced versus fragrance-free products: a comparison of toxicity

Abstract

Fragranced consumer products, such as cleaning supplies and laundry products, emit potentially hazardous compounds that can adversely affect human health and air quality. However, fragrance compounds, such as terpenes, are generally absent in fragrance-free versions of products. This study aimed to investigate whether fragranced and fragrance-free versions of the same products, with the same concentration and brand, may have different toxicological effects. To explore this question, this study examined five pairs of fragranced and fragrance-free versions of products from different categories: dish soap, daily shower spray, tub and tile cleaner, laundry detergent, and all purpose cleaner. Toxicity tests were conducted with adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The results indicated that in four pairs of products, the fragrance-free versions showed lower toxicity to mosquitoes compared to fragranced versions at the same concentration. For the all purpose cleaner, both versions showed low toxicity that was indistinguishable from the control. Our results provide novel evidence that fragrance-free versions of products can demonstrate lower toxicity than fragranced versions of products.