Photo/Illutration Sanae Teramoto, right, an assembly member from Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, delivers a request to an education ministry official in Tokyo on Aug. 20, calling for measures against fragrance sensitivity. (Mayumi Ujioka)

Around 10 percent of Japanese elementary and junior high school students have suffered health problems due to fragranced products such as laundry soap and perfumes, according to a current survey.

The findings highlight growing concerns over fragrance sensitivity, prompting renewed calls for national guidelines in schools.

The ongoing study, released on Aug. 20, is being jointly conducted by the Japanese Society of Clinical Ecology and the Society of Indoor Environment.

Since May last year, the researchers have collected online responses from more than 10,000 parents from 21 municipalities across nine prefectures.

This is the first academic study of its kind on fragrance-related health complaints among children in Japan.

According to the findings, 10.1 percent of elementary and junior high school students reported experiencing symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain or joint pain caused by exposure to artificial fragrances.

Including preschoolers, 8.3 percent of all children were affected.

Sensitivity increased with age: 6.8 percent of lower-grade elementary students, 11.2 percent of upper-grade students and 12.9 percent of junior high students reported symptoms.

A total of 4.4 percent reported experiencing these symptoms specifically at school or day care.

With or without symptoms, 5.7 percent of children reported discomfort caused by artificial fragrances from classmates’ clothing, hair, lunch aprons and other items.

The survey found that 2.1 percent of children refused to attend school or day care due to scent-related discomfort.

“These symptoms tend to increase as children spend more time at school. It’s likely that the learning environment for many students is being negatively affected,” said Ryoichi Terada, a professor emeritus at Meiji University and an environmental sociologist on the research team.

He emphasized the need for continued investigation into the issue.

In response to the research, advocacy groups involving politicians and activists submitted a formal request to the education ministry on Aug. 20.

They are urging the government to launch a nationwide investigation and create guidelines on the use of fragranced products in schools.

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