A widely-used Walmart air freshener, specifically the Great Value Hawaiian Automatic Air Freshener Spray Refills, reportedly contains more than 117 times the level of benzene deemed safe by federal guidelines, according to researchers hired by a plaintiff in a recent lawsuit.
This alarming information was revealed in court documents submitted on September 1 in Brooklyn Supreme Court, where the retail chain is accused of selling the air freshener without adequately warning consumers about the potential risks involved.
The labeling on Walmart’s product indicates that the spray could irritate the eyes and might be harmful or even fatal if ingested. However, it makes no mention of benzene, a substance associated with serious health conditions like leukemia and lymphoma. It’s not common practice for manufacturers to disclose benzene levels in their products since this chemical is often an unintended byproduct resulting from the breakdown of other chemicals.
The lawsuit, brought forth by customer Maximus Pierre Ferraroni, states, “Walmart took no action to remove the product from shelves and continued to sell it.”
This air freshener, priced at $7.77 per can, is designed for use in an automatic dispenser that releases a mist into the air every nine minutes.
Biogen Laboratory Developments conducted testing on behalf of Ferraroni and reportedly found that the air freshener contained 1.10 parts per million of benzene, as indicated in the court filings.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends a limit of 0.0094 parts per million for chronic inhalation of benzene, while the World Health Organization asserts that any exposure carries some level of risk.
Interestingly, Walmart had already received documentation about the presence of benzene in this air freshener earlier in 2023, tied to a different case, claims the lawsuit.
Ferraroni, who bought the air freshener at a Walmart location in Centereach before discovering its health hazards, is seeking $75,000 in damages for what he describes as “misleading” marketing. It’s not precisely clear what led Ferraroni to request lab testing on the product.
A Walmart representative stated that the company would “review the complaint upon receipt.” Meanwhile, Biogen has not responded to requests for comment, and Ferraroni’s attorney has also chosen not to provide any statements.
