Walmart sued over benzene in Great Value air freshener

A lawsuit filed in Kings County Supreme Court alleges that Walmart continued to sell its Great Value Hawaiian Automatic Air Freshener Spray Refills despite knowing the product contained dangerous levels of benzene.

Testing conducted by Biogen Laboratory Developments found 1.10 parts per million of benzene in the product. This concentration is approximately 117 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s guideline of 0.0094 parts per million for chronic inhalation. While the product label warns of eye irritation and swallowing hazards, it does not mention benzene, a carcinogen linked to leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

The plaintiff, Maximus Pierre Ferraroni, claims Walmart was previously served with documentation regarding benzene in this air freshener during a separate 2023 case but failed to remove the item from shelves. Ferraroni is seeking $75,000 in damages. A Walmart spokesperson stated the company would “review the complaint upon receipt.”