It is why a small box of baking soda has a pull-off side revealing a permeable membrane. You put it in the refrigerator to absorb odors, aka volatile organic compounds. Baking soda is alkaline, so it neutralizes acids. As most volatile organic compounds form acids in water, they are essentially absorbed by the baking soda in a moist environment.
https://www.armandhammer.com/for-everything-soda/air-freshen...