Question by Terri

NRDC tested 14 different brands of common household air fresheners and found that 12 contained the hormone-disrupting chemicals known as phthalates. These chemicals pose their greatest risk over long term repeated exposure. We tested only a fraction of the air freshener market; the air freshener you mention was not one of the ones we tested. To learn more you may want to refer to the report, or print out this fact sheet. It's hard for consumers to make safer choices because the federal government does not currently test air fresheners for safety or require manufacturers to meet any specific safety standards. NRDC filed a petition with the EPA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) asking them to start assessing the risk air fresheners pose to consumers by comprehensively testing all air freshener products on the market. Until they do, the best alternative to air fresheners is to open a window.

I am concerned about this too.... How do we get the information from Bath and Bodyworks? Or the White Barn Candle Company? I would love to keep using them (they smell great, and I don't want to just throw away the ones I've bought)...

The best thing you can do is call the companies and ask if their products contain diethyl phthalate (thal-ate) or DEP. Tell them you're concerned about endocrine disruptors in scents. Customer service may not have the information, but your concerns will be recorded. If enough people start asking about these chemicals, the companies will start paying attention, just like Walgreens did when they pulled the worrisome products from their shelves, commissioned additional tests and pledged to reformulate the products to get rid of unnecessary phthalates.