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In relation to this article, we declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Publication history
Received December 1, 2025
Revised January 25, 2026
Accepted February 11, 2026
Available online June 26, 2026
articles This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Evaluation of Ingredient Transparency in Chemical Products and Its Influence on Consumer Trust and Safety Perception

Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 1Office of Environmental Technology and Industry Planning, Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI) 2Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 3 School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University,
suhwankim@cau.ac.kr, giwonlee@kw.ac.kr, chpark@kw.ac.kr
Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, June 2026, 43(8), 2233-2241(9)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-026-00675-6

Abstract

This study quantitatively examined how ingredient transparency in household chemical products, specifically liquid air

fresheners, influences consumer behavior and ingredient risk perception. Survey data from 138 adult consumers in Seoul

were analyzed using correlation and regression models, supplemented by ingredient-level hazard information. Results

revealed that ingredient disclosure importance (β=0.38, p<0.001) and chemical risk perception (β=0.21, p=0.004) were

significantly associated with higher brand trust, which in turn was positively associated with repurchase intention (β=0.46,

p<0.001) and ingredient risk perception (β=0.27, p<0.001). Price sensitivity showed a weak but statistically significant

negative association (β = −0.12, p=0.042). In the complementary hazard-score evaluation, base components accounted

for approximately 78–80% w/w of total hazard, whereas fragrance components contributed 20–22% w/w, with several

high-toxicity ingredients (Ti = 8) exerting relatively higher contributions despite low formulation ratios. The behavioral

and hazard-based findings collectively suggest that information transparency, rather than absolute hazard magnitude, plays

a more influential role in shaping consumer trust and product evaluation. The proposed framework can be reproduced

to assess ingredient transparency in other household chemical products and to support safety-oriented communication

strategies.

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