unknown - second-hand exposure fabric treatment products

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. Hurt, no treatment

   Made Jan 23, 2020 · , sent to the company Mar 3, 2020 · , published by CPSC Mar 24, 2020

   The product, in the report: Scented laundry products used in clothes dryers, especially fabric softeners, dryer sheets and essential oils.

   This report is in relation to fragrant laundry products every day, especially those emitted from dryer vents into the air I must breathe. Millions of people with MCS suffer negative impacts from fragrant laundry product emissions, as well as people who are active outdoors. I am unable to provide a specific brand name or manufacturer because this problem is similar to second-hand smoke; someone else is purchasing and using the products and impacting everyone around them.

   Fragrant consumer product emissions are a serious problem that impacts the lives of millions of people. People with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and also people who have not yet developed an injury from common scented household products suffer adverse effects from inhaling the fumes from fragrant consumer products. People with MCS are injured in multiple ways; they are unable to keep jobs and often become shut-ins to avoid exposures that have a negative impact on their health; they lose friends and family members who are unwilling to discontinue the use of fragrant consumer products; and they often suffer vicious attacks from neighbors who are addicted to fragrant consumer products. There are many people with MCS that are shut-ins, or are forced to live in cars or tents in the country to avoid exposures to fragrant consumer products. This is a tragedy that is unthinkable. We are forgotten and outcast like lepers. No employer wants to make accommodations even though this is an ADA disability; no landlord wants to make accommodations; and even our neighbors tell us we should move or go somewhere else. This does not work, the problems due to chemicals in fragrant consumer products are present everywhere and we desperately need the governing agencies to investigate the formulas, set safe limits, ban/recall products, and instigate better, more highly visible, warning labels. It is the synthetic chemicals that are at issue and not natural scents produced by flowers or food.

   We are healthy and normal as long as we are not exposed to the toxins in fragrant products. All we need is clean air to breathe. Fragrances are designed to impact the limbic system and the amygdala in the brain (i.e; soothe, relax, energize...). They also stimulate the brain and nervous system in negative and harmful ways; but revealing this information is not a good marketing tool, nor is informing consumers that products contain phthalates, benzenes, toluene, formaldehyde or other toxic chemicals that are known carcinogens, reproductive toxins, respiratory irritants/sensitizers, or mutagens.

   I am not certain how much fragrance remains on laundry after the rinse cycle, but dryer sheets and essential oils can be extreme. These fragrances (or the chemicals in them) expand when heated in the dryer and their emissions pollute the air into which they are vented. These scents do not remain near the dryer vent, they expand to nearby homes and I have encountered them as far as two blocks from the source. Millions of homes emitting these chemicals is no different than factory emissions, and laundromats containing a large number of dryers running at once are even worse. Consumers seeking strong fragrance in their laundry don’t follow instructions and even if they do, the new stronger, longer lasting products are presenting a consumer safety issue.

   Manufacturers of these products, and the [REDACTED], are on a quest to create stronger, longer lasting fragrances simply because they generate sales and are not considering the health consequences. There are now laundry products (i.e.; Downy Unstoppable) that are made to last as long as three weeks). Fabrics are not the only thing these fragrances attach to, they are also attaching to hair, skin, eyes, nasal passages, olfactory nerves, throats and lungs. Simply being exposed to clothes that contain these chemical fragrances cause adverse effects and can trigger an asthma attack.

   When I open my door, I have experienced headaches, migraines, respiratory irritation, flu-like symptoms, chest pain, vocal cord dysfunction, difficulty breathing, temporary dementia, muscle spasms, and non-fatal heart attacks. Migraines and chest pain are the most common symptoms I experience. Please don’t suggest wearing a mask, we were not created to breathe chemicals and the U.S. should not be like India or China. We are better than that.

   Since fragrances are regulated by multiple agencies (FDA, EPA, OSHA and CPSC) depending on the product to which they are added, I must address each agency respectively. However, the number of products containing fragrances is growing; including consumer products like garbage bags. I am glad to see the actions CPSC has taken on numerous hazardous consumer products. However, there is a dire need for the CPSC to set restrictions on fragrant products whose use impacts multiple, unwilling, people. Proposed actions include initiating inspections, banning/recalling products, and mandating labeling for fragrant consumer products that inform consumers to the hazards of their use.

   Please put fragrant laundry products, especially fabric softeners and essential oils on your immediate agenda. Millions of people will thank you, especially those of us with MCS. I will submit additional requests for essential oils, diffusers, fragrance warmers, and scented candles.

   Best regards,

   [REDACTED]

   Bought from

   I don’t know

   Where

   Farmers Branch, Texas: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 59, Female

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand unknown - second-hand exposure, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources