Abstract

Home care (HC) aide visits to clients’ homes often involve cleaning and disinfecting (C&D) bathrooms. Some ingredients in C&D household products are associated with respiratory illness, including sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and quaternary ammonium compounds (quats). “Green” products may be safer for the environment, however there are limited quantitative evaluations of their respiratory risks. This study assessed airborne concentrations and time profiles of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and chlorine generated during typical bathroom cleaning performed by aides using conventional and green products. Aides performed cleaning tasks in a simulated residential bathroom constructed in an environmental air sampling laboratory. A balanced experimental design involved each aide coming to the lab for four visits during which she performed two 20-min cleaning sessions using one of three C&D products (bleach-based, 1–5% sodium hypochlorite by weight; quats-based, 0.1–1% by weight quaternary ammonium compounds; and “green,” 0.05% by weight thymol, a component of botanical thyme oil) or distilled water as a control. TVOC and chlorine direct reading instruments were attached to aides with sample inlets located in the breathing zone. Ten-second averages of TVOC and chlorine gas concentrations and instantaneous peak concentrations were recorded for the sessions’ duration. TVOC concentrations by methods of C&D application (spraying, streaming, wiping) also were evaluated. The study completed 169 air sampling sessions with 22 aides. The quats-based product generated more than twice the average TVOC concentrations (mean = 1,210 ppb) than the bleach-based (mean = 593 ppb) or green (mean = 498 ppb) products. Each product generated TVOC concentrations that rose rapidly within the first few minutes of application. Spraying produced the highest TVOC exposures, wiping the lowest. Thirteen aides (65%) experienced peak chlorine exposures above the OSHA PEL ceiling limit (1 ppm) when using the bleach-based product. HC aides may experience respiratory hazards from use of conventional or green C&D products formulated with bleach or other respiratory irritants and sprayed in small, poorly ventilated spaces typical of bathrooms. Spraying should be avoided.

摘要

家庭护理 (HC) 助手到客户家中拜访通常涉及清洁和消毒 (C&D) 浴室。C&D 家用产品中的一些成分与呼吸道疾病有关，包括次氯酸钠（漂白剂）和季铵化合物（季铵盐）。“绿色”产品可能对环境更安全，但对其呼吸道风险的定量评估有限。这项研究评估了助手使用传统和绿色产品进行典型浴室清洁过程中产生的总挥发性有机化合物 (TVOC) 和氯的空气传播浓度和时间曲线。助手们在环境空气采样实验室建造的模拟住宅浴室中执行清洁任务。平衡的实验设计包括每位助手到实验室进行四次访问，期间她使用三种 C&D 产品之一（基于漂白剂的，按重量计 1-5% 次氯酸钠；基于季铵盐的，0.1- 1%（重量）季铵化合物；以及“绿色”，0.05%（重量）百里香酚（植物百里香油的一种成分）或蒸馏水作为对照。TVOC 和氯直读仪器安装在助手上，样本入口位于呼吸区。记录整个疗程期间 TVOC 和氯气浓度的 10 秒平均值以及瞬时峰值浓度。还评估了 C&D 应用方法（喷雾、流式、擦拭）的 TVOC 浓度。该研究由 22 名助手完成了 169 次空气采样。基于季铵化合物的产品产生的平均 TVOC 浓度（平均值 = 1,210 ppb）是基于漂白剂（平均值 = 593 ppb）或绿色（平均值 = 498 ppb）产品的两倍多。每种产品产生的 TVOC 浓度在使用后的最初几分钟内迅速上升。喷涂产生的总挥发性有机物暴露量最高，擦拭产生的总挥发性有机物暴露量最低。13 名助手 (65%) 在使用基于漂白剂的产品时经历了高于 OSHA PEL 上限 (1 ppm) 的峰值氯暴露。HC 助手可能会因使用由漂白剂或其他呼吸道刺激物配制的传统或绿色 C&D 产品并喷洒在狭小、通风不良的浴室等典型空间中而遭受呼吸道危害。应避免喷涂。