According to a study from the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Massachusetts, air fresheners and cleaning products that help control mold and mildew are particularly linked to a risk for breast cancer.

The study consisted of phone interviews with 787 women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and 721 women who did not have breast cancer. The women were asked about pesticide and cleaning product use in the houses they had lived in. The study revealed that the strongest link was combined cleaning product use. The risk for breast cancer was found to be twice as high for women who said they used cleaning products the most. When asked about air fresheners, women who had used them seven or more times a year had twice the risk of breast cancer than those who never used air fresheners.

However, other scientists are skeptical. They believe that this study is unreliable and biased as many environmental groups are against cleaning products, and the results are based on self-reported answers. One scientist suggests that a better way to measure a true risk would be to define product exposure first, and then follow the women. The Silent Spring Institute will continue to do research.