Preface

Survey and health assessment of chemical substances in essential oils and fragrance oils

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a special effort to survey chemical substances in consumer products. The survey is accomplished by a series of projects with the purpose of illuminating the population's exposure to chemical substances and the possible risks related to this.

Essential oils, fragrance oils and air refreshers all contain fragrances in varying quantities. When using the products, fragrances and auxiliary substances are spread in the rooms where they are used and persons being present in the rooms are exposure to the substances.

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has thus initiated a survey of the use of aromatherapy oils and fragrance oils with the aim of investigating the possible health effects caused by inhalation of chemical substances in the oils.

The successful implementation of the project has depended on information from a number of suppliers, importers, producers and users of products for aromatherapy and therefore we especially thanks all those who has contributed by answering questions and submitting product information.

The project's primary target group is the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, market actors as well as professional and private users of the products.

Steering group

The project has been followed by a steering group consisting of:

Anette Ejersted, Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Chairman)

Bettina Andersen, Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Shima Dobel, Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Carsten Lassen, COWI A/S

Inge Bondgaard, Eurofins Danmark A/S

Martin Silberschmidt, ms consult - International Public Health

Working group

The project was carried out by a multidisciplinary team consisting of: Carsten Lassen (project manager), Sven Havelund og Sonja Mikkelsen, COWI, Inge Bondgaard, Eurofins and Martin Silberschmidt, ms consult.