A new study brings to light a little-known source of dangerous emissions: personal care products. The study, published Thursday in the journal Science, used computer models to study how a wide range of stuff people use in their homes, from lotion to house paint, contributes to air pollution. Printer ink, glue, and cleaning products contain petroleum-based chemicals. Even your deodorant may release smog-promoting particles into the air (not to mention your armpit).
Researchers showed that these volatile chemical products (VCPs) produce half of the volatile organic compounds found in Los Angeles. That means that household products may contribute as much to air pollution as motor vehicles do. VCPs help create ozone, the compound that provokes asthma, and PM2.5, super-small pollutants that can cause cancer and lung disease.
— source grist.org