Respiratory Concerns
Baur X, Schneider EM, Wieners D, Czuppon AB
Occupational asthma to perfume.
Allergy 1999 Dec 54:12 1334-5
Patients with airway diseases often experience asthma like symptoms upon contact with perfumes. Up to now, they were mainly assumed to be due to the irritative effects of perfumes in patients with preexisting unspecific bronchial hyperreactivity.
Respiratory symptoms from fragrance are usually attributed to them being respiratory irritants. This is generally accepted by the medical community as indicated in the excerpt from the article above. Most MSDS sheets on fragrance chemicals also indicate they are irritants. Even the fragrance industry acknowledges fragrance can act as a respiratory irritant. Unfortunately their suggestion of maintaining one's scent in a "scent circle" is impossible as fragrance materials are volatile substances. Their assumption that fragrances are respiratory irritants and not allergens has not been established by research. While fragrance does not generally contain proteins, respiratory sensitization to materials that may act as haptens has not been ruled out. Materials such as limonene form skin and respiratory sensitizers when oxidized.
Scented Products Education and Information Association of Canada
: SPEIAC Position on Asthma and Allergies http://www.scentedproducts.on.ca/asthmapositioncanada.htmRole Of Scented Products in Asthma and Allergies
There is a strong association between sensitization to allergens and asthma. Children with allergies are at increased risk of developing asthma. Consequently, allergen exposure should be considered in the treatment of asthma. The most significant allergens appear to be those that are inhaled.
While strong odours and scented products (among many other things) may act as an irritant to trigger an asthmatic attack, they do not cause asthma - the predisposition to bronchial inflammation and swelling is a pre-existing condition.
Both allergic reactions and asthma, can be aggravated by strong smells which can act as a non-specific irritant to the inflamed airways of the sufferer. However, what is an irritant or trigger for one person may not be for another so it is essential to know which irritants and/or triggers create a problem for an individual and avoid them.
Furthermore, one must be careful not to confuse dislikes with diseases. Everyone has personal preferences but likes and dislikes should not dictate what the rest of society can or cannot do. Fragrances have been enjoyed for thousands of years and contribute to people's individuality, self-esteem and personal hygiene. We believe people should be considerate about their fragrance use, and should follow the guidelines of remaining in their own "scent circle".
MSDS sheets on this and many other fragrance chemicals indicate they are respiratory irritants. Though fragrance is composed of volatile compounds which get into the air, inhalation is not indicated to be primary route of exposure. Eye contact and ingestion is listed as a primary route.
http://www.crown-chemical.com/msds%20alpha.docCROWN
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET FOR
ALPHA AMYL CINNAMIC ALDEHYDE
Section V : HEALTH HAZARD DATA
PRIMARY ROUTES OF EXPOSURE :
SKIN CONTACT : Yes INHALATION : No
EYE CONTACT : Yes SKIN ABSORBTION : No INGESTION : Yes
CARCINOGENICITY : OSHA : No IARC : No NTP : No ACGIH : No
MEDICAL CONDITIONS AGGRAVATED BY OVEREXPOSURE : None known to CROWN.
EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE : May be irritating to skin and eyes.
EYE CONTACT EFFECTS : May be irritating to eyes.
SKIN CONTACT EFFECTS : May be irritating to skin.
INHALATION EFFECTS : May be irritating if inhaled.
INGESTION EFFECTS : May be harmful if swallowed.
Rohr AC, Wilkins CK, Clausen PA, Hammer M, Nielsen GD, Wolkoff P, Spengler JD.
Inhal Toxicol 2002 Jul;14(7):663-84 Upper airway and pulmonary effects of oxidation products of (+)-alpha-pinene, d-limonene, and
isoprene in BALB/c mice. EPRI, 3412 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, CA
94304-1395,
The oxidation products (OPs) of ozone and the unsaturated hydrocarbons d-limonene, (+)-alpha-pinene, and isoprene have previously been shown to cause upper airway irritation in mice during 30-min acute exposures. This study evaluated the effects of OPs and the hydrocarbons themselves on the upper airways, the conducting airways, and the lungs over a longer exposure period.
The time course of development of effects and the reversibility of effects were investigated; in addition, we assessed possible exacerbation of sensory responses of the airways to the unreacted hydrocarbons. Respiratory parameters in male BALB/c mice were monitored via head-out plethysmography. Exposures to OPs or hydrocarbons were for 60 min, followed by a 30-min challenge period with air or hydrocarbon, and a 15-min recovery period with air only. Experiments were also performed where limonene/ozone exposures were separated 6 h from the challenge period. Ozone concentration in the reaction mixture was 3.4 ppm, and concentrations of hydrocarbons were 47 ppm (alpha-pinene), 51 ppm (d-
limonene), and 465 ppm (isoprene). Due to reaction, the ozone concentration at the point of exposure was less than 0.35 ppm; exposure to 0.30 ppm ozone for 60 min did not produce effects different from air-exposed control animals. As previously established, upper airway irritation was a prominent effect of OP exposure. In addition, over the longer exposure period we observed the development of airflow limitation that persisted for at least 45 min postexposure.
All effects from limonene/ozone exposures were reversible within 6 h.
Exposures to OPs did not cause enhanced upper airway irritation during challenge
with the hydrocarbons, indicating that a 1-h exposure to OPs did not increase
the sensitivity of the upper respiratory system. However, airflow limitation was
exacerbated in animals exposed to d-limonene alone immediately following
exposure to limonene OPs. These findings suggest that terpene/ozone reaction
products may have moderate-lasting adverse effects on both the upper airways and
pulmonary regions. This may be important in the context of the etiology or
exacerbation of lower airway symptoms in office workers, or of occupational
asthma in workers involved in industrial cleaning operations.
Shim C, Williams MH Jr. Effect of odors in asthma.
Am J Med. 1986 Jan;80(1): 18-22
Abstract: Many patients complain that some odors worsen their asthma. Perfume and cologne are two of the most frequently mentioned offenders. Four patients with a history of worsening of asthma on exposure to cologne underwent challenge with a cologne, and their pulmonary function was tested before, during, and after the exposure. Forced expiratory volume in one second declined 18 to 58 percent below the baseline period during the 10-minute exposure and gradually increased in the next 20 minutes. Saline placebo pretreatment did not affect the response to subsequent challenge. Single-blind pretreatment with metaproterenol and atropine prevented decline in one-second forced expiratory volume in three of four patients and blunted the response in the other. Cromolyn sodium prevented decline in one of four, and occlusion of nostrils prevented decline in one of three. A survey of 60 asthmatic patients revealed a history of respiratory symptoms in 57 on exposure to one or more common odors. Odors are an important cause of worsening of asthma.
"Fifty-seven of 60 patients claimed a respiratory reaction to one or more odors.
The odors that commonly worsened asthma were insecticide (85 percent), household cleaning agents (78 percent), perfume and cologne (72 percent), cigarette smoke (75 percent), fresh paint smell (73 percent). Automobile exhaust or gas fumes (60 percent), and cooking smells (37 percent). The odors that caused asthma were not necessarily unpleasant, and many noxious odors failed to produce asthma"
Larsson ML, Frisk M, Hallstrom J, Kiviloog J, Lundback B. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure during childhood is associated with increased prevalence of asthma in adults. Chest. 2001 Sep;120(3):711-7.
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0984/3_120/78963024/print.jhtml
Objective: To examine if exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during childhood has an impact on asthma prevalence in adults, and to identify the amount of nuisance from ETS and other lower airway irritants (LAWIs) in a city population.
Design: A postal survey.
Setting: The municipality of Orebro, Sweden.
Participants: A total of 8,008 randomly selected inhabitants aged 15 to 69 years.
Measurements: Exposures, airway symptoms, and respiratory history were assessed using a questionnaire.
Results: The response rate was 84%. In never-smokers with childhood ETS exposure, the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 7.6% vs 5.9% in nonexposed subjects (p = 0.036). In never-smokers without a family history of
asthma, the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma in subjects reporting childhood ETS exposure was 6.8% vs 3.8% in nonexposed subjects (p [is less than] 0.001). Subjects with childhood ETS exposure were more likely to start smoking in adulthood. The prevalence of ever-smokers was 54.5% vs 33.8% (p [is less than] 0.0001) in nonexposed subjects. ETS was the most commonly reported LAWI in the total sample (21%), followed by exercise in cold air (20%), dust (19%), exercise (16%), perfume (15%), cold air (12%), pollen (10%), and pets (8%). All LAWIs were more frequently reported by women.
(The lead author (Matz L. Larsson) was contacted to verify the information and ask other questions. The rate for asthmatics that found strong odors (which included fragrance) to be a trigger was 40%.)