Ventilation and posture effects on inhalation exposures to volatile cleaning ingredients in a simulated domestic worker cleaning environment

摘要

Associations between cleaning chemical exposures and asthma have previously beenidentified in professional cleaners and healthcare workers. Domestic workers, includinghousecleaners and caregivers, may receive similar exposures but in residentialenvironments with lower ventilation rates. Study objectives were to compare exposuresto occupational exposure limits (OELs), to determine relative contributions fromindividual cleaning tasks to overall exposure, and to evaluate the effects of ventilationand posture on exposure. Airborne chemical concentrations of sprayed cleaningchemicals (acetic acid or ammonia) were measured during typical cleaning tasks in asimulated residential work environment. Whole-house cleaning exposures (18 cleaningtasks) were measured using integrated personal sampling methods. Individualtask exposures were measured with a sampling line attached to subjects' breathingzones, with readings recorded by a ppbRAE monitor, equipped with a photoionizationdetector calibrated for ammonia and acetic acid measurements. Integrated samplingresults indicated no exposures above OELs occurred, but 95th percentile airconcentrations would require risk management decisions. Exposure reductions wereobserved with increased source distance, with lower exposures from mopping floorscompared to kneeling. Exposure reductions were also observed for most but not alltasks when ventilation was used, with implications that alternative exposure reductionmethods may be needed.