EPA

The Evironmental Protection Agency's job is to protect human health from environmental exposures and to protect the environment.  The EPA, while not regulating fragrance per se, has interests in fragrance as an environmental pollutant. Fragrance use impacts air quality both indoor and out, water quality, wildlife, and human health.

The EPA has an interest in fragrance once it is in the environment. As fragrance is composed of volatile compounds, which get into the air, the EPA would be concerned about impact on both indoor and outdoor air quality.

The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment. The Clean Air Act establishes two types of national air quality standards. Primary standards set limits to protect public health, including the health of "sensitive" populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly. Secondary standards set limits to protect public welfare.

The EPA recognizes that scented products are sources of volatile organic compounds which can impact air quality and human health, especially "sensitive" populations. According to the EPA, levels of volatile organic compounds may be 2-5 times higher indoors than out. While people are using products containing organic chemicals, they can expose themselves and others to very high pollutant levels, and elevated concentrations can persist in the air long after the activity is completed.

Scented products such as shampoos, soaps, cleaners, and laundry products go down the drain and end up in waste-water. These materials are not filtered out by waste water treatment and pose environmental concerns.

The EPA sponsored review of the literature Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change concluded, "Fragrances (musks) are ubiquitous, persistent, bioaccumulative pollutants that are sometimes highly toxic; amino musk transformation products are toxicologically significant."

Further the EPA is involved in regulatory activities regarding chemicals, including those used in fragrance. One of those activities is collecting use data on chemicals. Under the Toxic Substance Control Act, companies are required to report every four years volumes of use on specific chemicals when they are manufactured or imported into the US at volumes of 10,000 or more annually. The EPA collects and analyzes data on the chemicals.  

For more information explore the other pages under this section and external links to the EPA information and databases.