Research Article Qualitative Analysis of Air Freshener Spray Fatima Ibrahim ALshaer, Dalal Fuad ALBaharna, Hafiz Omer Ahmed , Mohammed Ghiyath Anas, and Jasem Mohammed ALJassmi Department of Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE Correspondence should be addressed to Hafiz Omer Ahmed; hafi[email protected] Received 10 April 2019; Revised 5 September 2019; Accepted 19 September 2019; Published 5 November 2019 Academic Editor: Giuseppe La Torre Copyright © 2019 Fatima Ibrahim ALshaer et al. -is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Air fresheners contain various chemicals that may or may not be harmful to human health and the environment. -ese products are widely used in different settings such as homes, schools, offices, and hospitals with ignorance of their real ingredients and their relative health effects. -us, this preliminary study was carried out to identify the presence of different compounds in spray air fresheners that were not disclosed on the product’s label. Four different brands of spray air fresheners were selected randomly from a local store, in which two were of mid-to-high cost and the remaining two of low cost. -e samples were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry headspace, in which single components of the samples were identified by the mass spec- trometry detector. -e results were shown as a chromatogram of several peaks, each representing different compounds. -e chemicals found in the samples include; lilial, galaxolide, benzenemethanol, musk ketone, butylated hydroxytoluene, and linalool. -ese chemicals may cause irritation and other health problems. However, none of them were revealed on the product’s label. -e study concludes that air fresheners need to be free of any toxic or harmful chemicals and include natural ingredients instead. 1. Introduction acetaldehyde, acetone, benzaldehyde, and limonene that were not listed on the product label. Air fresheners are chemical products that have been used in Numerous studies have been carried out by different the field of environmental sanitation for decades [1]. -ese researchers on the composition of air fresheners and their products are used in different settings, including dwellings, relative health effects. For instance, Fleming indicated that hospitals, offices, schools, hotels, restrooms etc. -ey are some compounds in such products including benzene de- available in various forms such as incense, scented candles, rivatives, pinene and limonene, aldehydes, phenol, and oils, disks, aerosol sprays, electric diffusers, and gels. cresol may pose serious health effects when reacting with According to Jung et al. [2], air fresheners are indiscrim- other indoor pollutants. Other common chemicals that inately used to mask the effects of the deodorizing and could be found in air fresheners include VOCs such as fragrant components in indoor environments. benzyl alcohol, toluene, myrcene, phthalates, artificial -e main purpose of using air fresheners is to get rid of musks, lilial, and linalool [6, 7]. disturbing odours that may result from different activities or Air fresheners have been recognized as a primary source processes within an area. -ey may consist of several in- of volatile organic compounds throughout buildings from gredients that have the ability to provide a pleasant ambi- an indoor air-quality perspective. However, air fresheners ence. Nevertheless, drawbacks may also result due to their have been related with adverse effects such as asthma attack, excessive usage. -ey consist of many chemicals that are not mucosal symptoms, infant illness, breathing difficulties, and revealed on the product label as manufacturers are not migraine headaches from a health perspective [6]. In the required to disclose all ingredients [3]. -ese chemicals previous two national surveys of the US population, could be allergens, irritants, or even toxic [4]. Steinemann breathing difficulties, headaches, and other health problems et al. [5] found numerous chemicals in air fresheners, such as were reported by 19 percent population when exposed to 2 Journal of Environmental and Public Health Table 1: Brief description of each chemicals used in the sample freshener. Sample Cost Packaging Usage Quantity CAS Galaxolide AED 105 Glass bottle Aroma/fragrance preparations 30 ml (1 fluid ounce) 1222-05-5 Lilial AED 274 Glass bottle Aroma/fragrance preparations 50 ml 80-54-6 Benzenemethanol AED 124 — — 16 oz 202-859-9 Musk ketone AED 76.80 Drum Perfumery compound 5.25 kgs — Butylated hydroxytoluene AED 12.80 Customized Perfumery compound 2 kg — Linalool AED 69.15 Customized Perfumery compound 5 g 78-70-6 Mcounts dr-hafez-s1-1[3-20-2017]sms 50:650 filtered 50.650 2.25 2.00 1.75 2 1.50 1.25 1.00 0.75 23.325 23.350 23.375 23.400 23.425 23.450 minutes Seg2, SCAN, Time: 2.00-34.57, EI-auto-full, 50-650 m/z Scans 2806 2809 2812 2815 2819 2822 Figure 1: Chromatogram of galaxolide in air freshener sample 1. deodorizers and air fresheners. 10.9 percent population life products comprising or emitting formaldehyde and reported health problems from the scent of laundry products examine quantity-related human exposure by either direct vented outdoors [7, 8]. or indirect sources [11]. -e contribution of a range of risk factors has been Information lacks concerning the gaseous emissions of assessed by the World Health Organization to the stress of fragrance products in spite of the extensive indoor exposure disease and indicated indoor pollution as the 8th most and widespread use of fragrances to them [12]. In addition, important risk factor and accountable for 2.7 percent of the 95 percent of the chemicals are synthetic compounds in burden of disease, globally. Every year, indoor air pollution fragrances that are derived from petroleum [13]. Humans is accountable for the death of 20 individuals [9]. Con- have been exposed to specific compounds for assessing the centrations of a number of volatile organic compounds are safety of those compounds inhaled when examining the consistently higher indoors as compared to outdoors. hazard of fragrance compounds [14]. Volatile organic compounds are comprised within house- It is important to carry out this study to increase hold products, such as wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, awareness and understanding of their hidden ingredients cleansers, disinfectants, paints, paint strippers, moth re- becasue of the extensive use of air fresheners with the ig- pellents, air fresheners, hobby supplies, dry-cleaned cloth- norance of their actual contents and their relative effects on ing, stored fuels and automated products, and other solvents humans and the environment. -erefore, the present study [10]. aims to identify the presence of different compounds in A National Environment Health Action Plan (NEHAP) spray air fresheners that are not disclosed on the product’s has been launched by the French government in June 2004, label. for improving indoor air quality. -e Ministries of Health, Labour, and Environment for evaluating health risks related 2. Material and Methods with formaldehyde and other volatile organic ompounds indoors have been mandated by the French Agency for 2.1. Study Design and Sample Collection. A qualitative, cross- Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (AFSSET). sectional study was conducted to determine the presence of In this regard, the role of AFSSET was to recognize everyday toxic chemicals in the air fresheners. Four different brands of Journal of Environmental and Public Health 3 BP: 243.3 (270451 = 100%), 23.368min, Scan: 2810, 50:650, Ion: 76us, RIC: 2.057e + 6 243.3 100 270451 75 91.3 143634 (%) 50 257.2 83271 25 0 (a) Galaxolide 1 BP 243.0 (999 = 100%) 182058 in MAINLIB C18H26O, MW258 243.0 100 999 75 (%) 50 25 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 Maximum range m/2 (b) Figure 2: Mass spectrum of galaxolide in air freshener sample 1. (a) Air freshener analysis. (b) Main library of NIST11. spray air fresheners were selected randomly from a local of 1 μL sample was injected into the column, where the store, in which two were of mid-to-high cost and the separation of the chemical compounds in the air fresheners remaining two of low cost. was performed using an HP VF-5 ms, (30 m × 0.32 mm, 0.25 μm). Helium was used as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and the injector temperature was at 230°C. -e 2.2. Sample Analysis. Gas chromatography/mass spec- temperature program of the column oven was started at trometry (GC/MS) headspace has been used to analyse the 50°C, was held for 1 min, ramped at 7°C/min to 250°C, and samples obtained from the air fresheners in environmental held for 5 mins. and analytical chemistry laboratories for the segregation and -e conditions for the ion trap mass spectrometer were analysis of readily volatile compounds. -e GC 3900/Saturn as follows: 2100T GC/MS (ion trap) system was controlled using a Varian GC/MS workstation version 5.52 software. A volume (i) Ionization mode; EI (70 ev) 4 Journal of Environmental and Public Health Mcounts Dr-Hafez-S1-1[3-20-2017] SMS 50:650 fltered 50.650 7.5 5.0 1 2.5 0.0 17.00 17.25 17.50 17.75 18.00 18.25 18.50 18.75 minutes Seg 2, SCAN, Time: 2.00-34.57, EI-auto-full, 50-650 m/z Scans 2013 2044 2076 2107 2138 2169 2201 2233 Figure 3: Chromatogram of lilial in air freshener sample 1. BP: 189.2 (211719 = 100%), 17.750min, Scan: 2107, 50:650, Ion: 289us, RIC: 972846 100 189.2 211719 75 (%) 50 131.3 52885 25 0 (a) Lilial BP 189.0 (999 = 100%) 155329 in MAINLIB CAS No.