Gretchen Schaefer
202.833.7311
New Paper Grossly Mischaracterizes U.S. Regulation
of Air Fresheners, Laundry Products
WASHINGTON, DC (July 23, 2008) – A researcher from the University of Washington today
released a paper that grossly mischaracterizes the U.S. regulation of air fresheners and laundry
products, according to the Consumer Specialty Products Association.
“The paper is misleading and has a number of factual inaccuracies,” said Chris Cathcart, CSPA
President. “Air fresheners, laundry products and other consumer specialty products are regulated
under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and subsequently have strict labeling requirements.
Companies producing products that are regulated under FHSA must name on the product label each
component that contributes to the hazard.
“Simply stated, these products are safe when used according to product labels,” Cathcart continued
The paper was scheduled to be published today in Environmental Impact Assessment Review.
“If a chemical is found at low levels in a product, that does not mean the product is toxic or
hazardous,” Cathcart continued. “It appears the author has misunderstood current labeling
requirements under FHSA; those requirements assure that the most meaningful information for
consumers is included on the product label.”
Given the limited space on product labels, CSPA advocates that the most important information on
the label is instruction on proper use, storage and disposal. It is critical this information be readily
identifiable on a label, maximizing the likelihood that consumers will take the proper care.
CSPA points out that readers of this paper will also be lead to believe that volatile organic
compounds are not regulated. “This simply is not true. VOC’s are regulated on the federal and state
levels,” Cathcart said.
CSPA notes that not all ingredients are volatile, and not all volatile ingredients are hazardous. The
fact is that there are no significant volatile hazardous ingredients in these products and therefore are
not listed on the product labels or Material Safety Data Sheets.
“The author has unnecessarily released an alarmist paper when the reality is that there were no
problems found that are associated with the products tested,” Cathcart concluded.
About CSPA
The Consumer Specialty Products Association is a non-profit national trade association representing
approximately 250 companies engaged in the manufacture, formulation, distribution and sale of
hundreds of familiar consumer products. It is organized into seven divisions: Aerosol Products, Air
Care, Antimicrobial Products, Cleaning Products, Pest Management Products, Industrial and
Automotive Specialty Chemicals, and Polishes and Floor Maintenance. For more information, please
visit www.cspa.org.
