Gretchen Schaefer
202.833.7311
Statement by Christopher Cathcart, President, Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) on the Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) Paper on Air Fresheners:
CSPA is outraged by the NRDC's efforts to incite consumer fear on air fresheners. The NRDC paper claiming that phthalates found in some air fresheners are linked to health risks flies in the face of accepted science.
Phthalates are an entire class of chemicals. Because some chemicals considered phthalates are not commonly accepted for use in consumer products – by both industry and governmental and regulatory bodies – the NRDC is attempting to paint them all with a broad brush as suspect ingredients. This is both irresponsible and unscientific. Take the example of acids. Some we can ingest – ascorbic acid (which is vitamin C) or acetic acid (which is vinegar). Others may be fatal if ingested such as sulfuric acid (battery acid). The NRDC's “logic” of lumping phthalates together is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Groups including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products have found no evidence that the specific phthalates used in air fresheners pose any threat to consumer safety.
Even NRDC calls their findings “very preliminary”, and rightfully so. The findings are, however, beyond very preliminary – they are not scientifically sound and their testing was fatally flawed. NRDC only tested a single unit of each of the 14 products it analyzed. This limited testing does not account for potential analytical errors or other variables that could occur with such a small sample.
NRDC has used this faulty foundation to make their unscientific generalizations and claims. For instance , it is clear that some phthalate levels reported in many of the products are present only at trace levels, far below any concern for health and safety. The NRDC nonetheless implies that these are levels of significant concern.
We continue to support – in word and action – the fair and unbiased evaluation of products and ingredients in the interest of the consumer, but we expect that testing to be rigorous and scientific.
Contrary to NRDC's claims, air fresheners undergo extensive reviews to meet or exceed the high standards and regulations set by government regulatory agencies. Individual product manufacturers conduct safety assessments including ingredient reviews, exposure and risk assessments. Industry's full participation in this process is a valued part of our everyday business – with the end goal being the continued assurance of public health and safety.
Our industry has worked in cooperation with NRDC on many occasions, but in this case, we are disappointed that NRDC has completely failed to carry on its heritage as a responsible public advocate. NRDC's efforts on this issue are nothing short of fear-mongering. Their claims are irresponsible, and a disservice to the millions of consumers who benefit from using these products safely and effectively in their homes.
