Nail salon air is filled with fragrance chemicals—could they harm workers’ health?

You know that nail salon smell? That sharp hit of chemicals, the strangely sweet scent of polish, the faint tingle in your nose? That’s air pollution, and it’s been linked to a variety of health effects experienced by the workers who breathe it. Nail salon workers commonly experience irritated skin and eyes, headaches, loss of smell and respiratory problems. Officials in some cities and states, including Washington, have introduced new regulations designed to better protect nail salon workers—a population that is 81% women, 79% foreign-born and typically earns low wages. But the mysteries around what, exactly, causes those potent smells Read More