Components of Fragrances

The process of developing fragrances is a complex mixture of chemistry and art. Not only must the chemicals used be compatible, the combination must also be aesthetically pleasing to the nose. Synthetic ingredients are less expensive than natural ingredients, and can be created year-round, while the supply of natural ingredients depends on season and availability. Once synthetic ingredients were introduced to the marketplace, perfumes and fragrance materials became more widespread as the demand and supply increased. It is estimated that there are more than 3,000 chemicals used in the manufacture of fragrances. Synthetic organic chemicals constitute more than 80-90% (by weight and value) of the raw materials used in flavor and fragrance formulations. A single fragrance may contain as few as 10 chemicals or as many as several hundred. Like many other chemicals and chemical mixtures in widespread use today, little is known about the impact fragrances have on human health.

Because of the complex and competitive nature of fragrance development, manufacturers were given the right to protect their products through state trade secret laws, which allow them to not disclose the ingredients to anyone. Due to the secrecy surrounding fragrance ingredients, claims of adverse reactions to fragrances may be difficult or impossible to link to particular fragrance chemicals. Such secrecy also makes it difficult for researchers to study the health effects of fragrances. "Because of the number of chemicals and their different volatilities, polarities, and other properties, analysis is expensive and technically sophisticated," says Lance Wallace, an environmental scientist in the EPA's Office of Research and Development in Reston, Virginia.

As part of efforts to identify substances that contribute to indoor air pollution, Wallace and colleagues conducted a study to identify volatile organic compounds emitted by fragranced products. These compounds can be both toxic and carcinogenic and have been associated with the symptoms of sick building syndrome.

The study, published in the proceedings of the Air & Waste Management Association's 84th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, held 16-21 June 1991, examined 31 selected scented products, including perfumes, soaps, and deodorants. The brand names were not revealed because only one semiquantitative analysis was made for each sample; therefore, the results could not be said to be indicative of that sample's typical composition. The researchers identified a total of 150 unique chemicals in the 31 products. Chemicals that appeared in more than half of the products included ethanol, limonene, linalool, ß-phenethyl alcohol, and ß-myrcene. The authors point out that few of these chemicals have been tested for carcinogenicity, but say that some, such as -pinene, are known mutagens and others, such as camphor, have known toxic effects at high concentrations. Limonene has been tested for carcinogenicity and was observed to cause cancer in male rats, but not in mice or female rats. Wallace cautions that, while the chemicals have been identified as components of fragrances, health effects may occur at far higher doses than what may typically be found in fragrances.

Mary Lamielle, executive director of the National Center for Environmental Health Strategies, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to finding creative solutions for environmental health problems, points out that, even though the chemicals may be present at low levels in perfumes and products, people generally do not experience just a single exposure. "These same chemicals are cropping up in many different products," she says.

Self-regulated Industry

Currently, the fragrance industry is essentially self-regulated in the United States. The FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors has jurisdiction over perfumes and fragrances used in cosmetics, but does not require an approval process or premarket clearance for perfumes or cosmetics containing fragrance, says John Bailey, Jr., director of the office. Therefore, the FDA does not technically have jurisdiction over products until they are on the market. "It is up to the manufacturer to market a safe product," Bailey says. "If there's an identifiable public health risk, then certainly the agency can step in and take action." However, he says, "People claim to be sensitive to fragrances, but in spite of efforts to try to characterize the risk, the issue has defied a concise identification of a public health risk [and has] defied a good solid scientific definition. Therefore, the agency is not in a position to propose a change in regulation."

Senses and Sensitivity Part II: Research on Fragrances and the Sense of Smell