Scented products cause indoor air pollution on par with car exhaust

When I saw the title, I half-expected it to be this researcher: https://www.drsteinemann.com/

I found her work years ago, when I had a suspicion of why I'd get headaches while folding laundry. A Web search turned up her papers, I stopped using dryer sheets and scented laundry detergent, and laundry-folding headaches stopped immediately.

Separately, it turned out a bunch of people and pets who had windows near the laundry room vents of my large condo building would get headaches and breathing problems from the exhaust. The complaints stopped down after most residents stopped using scented laundry products. Though IIUC, the dryer exhaust can still contain some nasties, just not as much as before.

Random smells can trigger headaches for me too. When I was little it was Fanta or Crush, something about the orange. Now I found the Trader Joe’s blood orange tea has the same scent and immediately triggers something.

Diesel exhaust is another one, but that’s not just a scent.

Surprisingly anything else motor related is fine. I’ve been soaked in brake cleaner and race fuel and it hasn’t been a problem.