Risk in cleaning: chemical and physical exposure
Section snippets
General introduction
The indoor environment is cleaned to maintain an acceptable level of perceived cleanliness, to prevent surface degradation, to control potential risk of infection from microorganisms, and to control dust exposure in general. Dust on floors and other surfaces contains minerals, metals, fibres from textiles, paper, and insulation material, particles from tobacco smoke, including polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs), organic compounds, and materials from biological sources such as Gram-negative
Sampling methods for VOCs
If no specific symptom-related VOCs can be selected, the sampling and analysis of VOCs become rather complicated because cleaning agents can contain many different volatile substances. Due to the complexity, the sampling should follow a series of common steps, as described recently (Wolkoff, 1995).
The selection of the best sampling method depends on the nature of the potential VOCs of interest, environmental conditions, and the sampling objective. The method of choice for analyzing VOCs depends
Personal versus stationary sampling
Personal sampling of dust is usually done by placing a filter in the person's breathing zone. The airflow through the filter is ∼2 l/min and is supplied by a small pump.
The convective plume around the body (Clark and Cox, 1973) carries dust originating from the body (skin scales, textile fibres, bacteria, etc.) as well as dust resuspended in the breathing-zone by the person's activity. The concentration, as determined by a stationary sampler, is an underestimation due to the rapid dilution
Surface sampling techniques
Table 10 (Burdett, 1988) lists a large variety of field techniques for surface sampling. The choice of method depends on the objective. The test surface technique (Anzai and Kikuchi, 1978) uses a small piece of the surface material (e.g. a patch of a carpet, placed at several positions) for collecting samples. This technique does not interfere with the dust accumulation process and thus comes close to the actual conditions. The test surface can be removed and the dust reclaimed, or redispersion
Research needs
The study showed that no scientific report deals systematically with the exposure of cleaners and the process of cleaning. Likewise, limited data are available on the impact of cleaning on occupants. As a result of the present work and recommendations made by others (Mølhave et al., 1994; Clean cleaning, 1995; Renström et al., 1996), the following research needs have been identified.
- •
Methodology for workplace assessment, including guidelines for interpreting the role of work load in the uptake
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the European Commission, the BIOMED 2 Programme `Risk in Cleaning 1996–1998' (Convenor: Prof. D. Krüger, Fachhochschule Hamburg). We thank Mrs A. Krag for assistance in the early stage of this study.
References (102)
- et al.
Epidemiology of the sick building syndrome
J Allergy Clin Immunol
(1994) - et al.
Deposition of airborne particles onto the eye — wind tunnel studies of the deposition velocity unto the eyes of a mannequin
J Aerosol Sci
(1997) - et al.
Screening of household products for the emission of volatile organic compounds
Environ Int
(1989) - et al.
A survey of household products for volatile organic compounds
Atmos Environ
(1992) Man-made mineral fibers and other fibers in the air and in settled dust
Environ Int
(1986)- et al.
A semiempirical model for particle deposition onto facial skin and eyes. Role of air currents and electric fields
J Aerosol Sci
(1994) - et al.
Quality of cleaning quantified
Build Environ
(1994) - et al.
Cleaning effectiveness and airborne dust generation of cleaning methods
Build Environ
(1994) - et al.
A new monitoring technique of surface contamination — the test surface method
Health Phys
(1978) - Arbejdstilsynet Kompendium 2. Indsats 1991–1992. Hud og luftveje,...
A passive sampler for the determination of the heavy metal burden of indoor air environments
Environ Technol Lett
Eye discomfort and work with visual display terminals
Scand J Work Environ Health
Hypersensitivity to 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol
Contact Dermatitis
Occupational asthma due to indirect exposure to lauryl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride used in a floor cleaner
Thorax
Particle total exposure assessment methodology (PTEAM) study: distributions of aerosol and elemental concentrations in personal, indoor, and outdoor samples in a southern California community
J Exp Anal Environ Epidemiol
Small chamber tests and headspace analysis of volatile organic compounds emitted from household products
Indoor Air
Surface contamination measurements as an index of control of radioactive materials
Health Phys
Dust from carpeted and smooth floors. IV. Solid material, proteins and allergens collected in the different filter stages of vacuum cleaners after ten days of use in school
Allergy
Correlation of fluorescent tracer measurements of dermal exposure and urinary metabolic excretion during occupational exposure to malathion
Am Ind Hyg Assoc J
Contact allergens in registered chemical products
Contact Dermatitis
Contact allergens in registered cleaning agents for industrial and household use
Br J Ind Med
Identification of formaldehyde releasers and occurrence of formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers in registered chemical products
Am J Ind Med
Foam at inner eye canthus in office workers, compared with an average Danish population as control group
Acta Ophthalmol
Cleaning for improved indoor air quality: an initial assessment of effectiveness
Indoor Air
Occupational asthma due to glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde in endoscopy and X ray departments
Thorax
Chloramine-induced pneumonitis from mixing household cleaning agents
Br Med J
Diethylene glycol mono butyl ether concentrations in room air from application of cleaner formulations to hard surfaces
J Exp Anal Environ Epidemiol
Dust and the sick building syndrome
Indoor Air
Bacterial contamination in a modern operating suite. 3. Importance of floor contamination as a source of airborne bacteria
J Hyg Camb
Thermal desorption of organic compounds associated with settled household dust
Indoor Air
Hypochlorite sensitivity in man
Contact Dermatitis
Cited by (213)
Non-target screening of volatile organic compounds in spray-type consumer products and their potential health risks
2023, Ecotoxicology and Environmental SafetyRemoval of volatile organic compounds by mobile air cleaners: Dynamics, limitations, and possible side effects
2023, Building and EnvironmentIndoor air and respiratory health: Volatile organic compounds and cleaning products
2023, Asthma in the 21st Century: New Research AdvancesExperimental investigation of the surface properties of accidental stained carbonate natural stones
2022, Case Studies in Construction MaterialsA review and comparison of the indoor air quality requirements in selected building standards and certifications
2022, Building and EnvironmentAnalysis of usage patterns and probabilistic risk assessment of personal care products in Korea
2022, Food and Chemical Toxicology