Purdue University Study Reveals Scented Cleaners Release Harmful Nanoparticles Indoors
New research from Purdue University, to be presented at the American Chemical Society’s fall meeting, indicates that scented cleaning products release airborne nanoparticles that can pose health risks. A study conducted in a tiny model house demonstrated that both conventionally scented and botanical essential oil-based cleaners rapidly form these nanoparticles in the air. These particles, typically 1 to 30 nanometers wide, are small enough to travel deep into the lungs upon inhalation, potentially causing respiratory irritation, inflammation, or even entering the bloodstream. The study found that common terpenes in cleaning liquids, such as pinene, limonene, thymol, and linalool, are present at concentrations tens to hundreds of times higher indoors during cleaning than outdoors in a forest, leading to a rapid and significant increase in nanoparticle formation. 
