Qualitative Analysis of Air Freshener Spray

Air fresheners contain various chemicals that may or may not be harmful to human health and the environment. These 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. Thus, 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. The samples were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry headspace, in which single components of the samples were identified by the mass spectrometry detector. The results were shown as a chromatogram of several peaks, each representing different compounds. The chemicals found in the samples include; lilial, galaxolide, benzenemethanol, musk ketone, butylated hydroxytoluene, and linalool. These chemicals may cause irritation and other health problems. However, none of them were revealed on the product's label. The study concludes that air fresheners need to be free of any toxic or harmful chemicals and include natural ingredients instead.