Emerging sustainable/green cleaning products: health and environmental risks (original) (raw)

Hazardous substances in frequently used professional cleaning products

International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2014

Background: A growing number of studies have identified cleaners as a group at risk for adverse health effects of the skin and the respiratory tract. Chemical substances present in cleaning products could be responsible for these effects. Currently, only limited information is available about irritant and health hazardous chemical substances found in cleaning products. We hypothesized that chemical substances present in cleaning products are known health hazardous substances that might be involved in adverse health effects of the skin and the respiratory tract. Methods: We performed a systematic review of cleaning products used in the Swiss cleaning sector. We surveyed Swiss professional cleaning companies (n51476) to identify the most used products (n5105) for inclusion. Safety data sheets (SDSs) were reviewed and hazardous substances present in cleaning products were tabulated with current European and global harmonized system hazard labels. Results: Professional cleaning products are mixtures of substances (arithmetic mean 3.5¡2.8), and more than 132 different chemical substances were identified in 105 products. The main groups of chemicals were fragrances, glycol ethers, surfactants, solvents; and to a lesser extent, phosphates, salts, detergents, pH-stabilizers, acids, and bases. Up to 75% of products contained irritant (Xi), 64% harmful (Xn) and 28% corrosive (C) labeled substances. Hazards for eyes (59%) and skin (50%), and hazards by ingestion (60%) were the most reported. Conclusions: Cleaning products potentially give rise to simultaneous exposures to different chemical substances. As professional cleaners represent a large workforce, and cleaning products are widely used, it is a major public health issue to better understand these exposures. The list of substances provided in this study contains important information for future occupational exposure assessment studies.

Risk in cleaning: chemical and physical exposure

Science of The Total Environment, 1998

Cleaning is a large enterprise involving a large fraction of the workforce worldwide. A broad spectrum of cleaning agents has been developed to facilitate dust and dirt removal, for disinfection and surface maintenance. The cleaning agents are used in large quantities throughout the world. Although a complex pattern of exposure to cleaning agents and resulting health problems, such as allergies and asthma, are reported among cleaners, only a few surveys of this type of product have been performed. This paper gives a broad introduction to cleaning agents and the impact of cleaning on cleaners, occupants of indoor environments, and the quality of cleaning. Cleaning agents are usually grouped into different product categories according to their technical functions and the purpose of their use (e.g. disinfectants and surface care products). The paper also indicates the adverse health and comfort effects associated with the use of these agents in connection with the cleaning process. The paper identifies disinfectants as the most hazardous group of cleaning agents. Cleaning agents contain evaporative and non-evaporative substances. The major toxicologically significant constituents of the former are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), defined as substances with boiling points in the range of 0 degree C to about 400 degrees C. Although laboratory emission testing has shown many VOCs with quite different time-concentration profiles, few field studies have been carried out measuring the exposure of cleaners. However, both field studies and emission testing indicate that the use of cleaning agents results in a temporal increase in the overall VOC level. This increase may occur during the cleaning process and thus it can enhance the probability of increased short-term exposure of the cleaners. However, the increased levels can also be present after the cleaning and result in an overall increased VOC level that can possibly affect the indoor air quality (IAQ) perceived by occupants. The variety and duration of the emissions depend inter alia on the use of fragrances and high boiling VOCs. Some building materials appear to increase their VOC emission through wet cleaning and thus may affect the IAQ. Particles and dirt contain a great variety of both volatile and non-volatile substances, including allergens. While the volatile fraction can consist of more than 200 different VOCs including formaldehyde, the non-volatile fraction can contain considerable amounts (> 0.5%) of fatty acid salts and tensides (e.g. linear alkyl benzene sulphonates). The level of these substances can be high immediately after the cleaning process, but few studies have been conducted concerning this problem. The substances partly originate from the use of cleaning agents. Both types are suspected to be airway irritants. Cleaning activities generate dust, mostly by resuspension, but other occupant activities may also resuspend dust over longer periods of time. Personal sampling of VOCs and airborne dust gives higher results than stationary sampling. International bodies have proposed air sampling strategies. A variety of field sampling techniques for VOC and surface particle sampling is listed.

Sustainable Treatment Techniques for Emerging Pollutants—The Case of Personal Hygiene Products

Applied Sciences

Personal care products (PCPs) enter wastewater primarily through greywater. Treatment plants have not been able to remove this type of contaminant, although PCP abatement techniques have been developed in recent years. The objective of the current study has been to encounter the sustainable technique that keeps the optimal balance between the criteria considered in the comparison. Therefore, a bibliographic review was conducted in scientific databases of the last eight years, demonstrating that co-composting, anaerobic–aerobic sequencing bioreactors and contaminant absorption through the use of carbon nanotubes are the ones with the least environmental impact. Subsequently, the Saaty and Modified Saaty methods were applied, with a comparative criteria of construction costs, maintenance costs, efficiency and the stage of development. The results indicated that the co-composting technique is the best sustainable technique of those studied, with a score of 0.86/1, which means that the ...

Storage and utilization patterns of cleaning products in the home: Toxicity implications

Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2007

Background and aims: Cleaning products are used to achieve cleaner homes. However, they have been responsible for a considerable number of poisoning cases. The aims of this study were to investigate the storage and utilization patterns of cleaning products in the home, as well as the risk of adverse and toxic effects produced by them. Methods: This study has been performed using a questionnaire that was developed by the Poison Control and Drug Information Center (PCDIC). The questionnaire was distributed randomly in northern Palestine. The questionnaire included questions regarding storage, utilization habits, and the adverse effects experienced by respondents upon handling the cleaning products. Results: All respondents utilized and stored cleaning products in their homes. Chlorine bleach and acidic cleaning products were the most common. Respondents stored cleaning products at different places in their homes, but most of those storage places were suboptimal and were within the reach of children. The daily utilization rate of cleaning products was 1.6± 0.8 with chlorine bleach being the most commonly used. Of the respondents, 27% reported experiencing a wide range of acute adverse and toxic effects resulting from cleaning product use and that exposure occurred mainly via inhalation. Caustic substances, bleach, and kerosene were the agents mainly involved in producing these adverse and toxic effects. About half of those who experienced adverse and toxic effects sought medical help, and 22% of them were children younger than 6 years of age. Finally, most respondents reported mixing and discarding cleaning product leftovers and their containers improperly. Conclusion and recommendations: Correct utilization and safer storage of cleaning products is encouraged. Several preventive strategies should be implemented in order to decrease the incidence of accidental harmful exposure that is due to cleaning agents. The role of the PCDIC is very important in the education, prevention, and management of cleaning product-induced adverse effects.

Planet versus Profit; Sustainable Solutions for Cleaning & Disinfection

Production hygiene and cleaning are unavoidably linked. However the environmental impact of traditional cleaning is in contradiction with a global sustainable strategy. Sustainability is also about social responsibility and the global community. Creating a cleaner, healthier future for all begins at the doorstep of every producer. In order to make a public commitment to challenging, measurable reductions in the environmental impact innovative projects are required that will also drive to continuous improvement in the operational profile, the profits, the people and for the environment.

Modification of cleaning product formulations could improve indoor air quality

Indoor Air, 2022

Cleaning products contain numerous individual chemicals, which can be liberated on use. These species can react in air to form new chemical species, some of which are harmful to health. This paper uses a detailed chemical model for indoor air chemistry, to understand the chemical reactions that can occur following cleaning, assuming cleaning products with different proportions of limonene, α‐pinene, and β‐pinene are used. The tests included the pure compounds, 50:50 mixtures and mixtures in proportion to the rates of reaction with ozone and the hydroxyl radical. For the 3 h following cleaning, pure α‐pinene was most efficient at producing particles, pure limonene for nitrated organic material, and a 50:50 mixture of β‐pinene and limonene for formaldehyde, leading to enhancements of 1.1 μg/m3, 400 ppt, and 1.8 ppb, respectively, compared to no cleaning. Cleaning in the afternoon enhanced concentrations of secondary pollutants for all the mixtures, owing to higher outdoor and hence indoor ozone compared to the morning. These enhancements in concentrations lasted several hours, despite the cleaning emissions only lasting for 10 min. Doubling the air exchange rate enhanced concentrations of formaldehyde and particulate matter by ~15% while reducing that of nitrated organic material by 13%. Changing product formulations has the potential to change the resulting indoor air quality and consequently, impacts on health.

Green Cleaning: A Study on Benefits for Malaysian School Building

MATEC Web of Conferences

Cleaning is one of the important activities during the operation and maintenance stage to any type of core business. Schools nowadays are looking seriously at the cleaning aspect as they realize the availability of health and environmentally friendly facilities that encourage academic performance and staff welfare. These concerns are due to the conventional cleaning practices and products used to keep the school clean. The cleaning contractors are responsible to understand that chemicals with high levels of volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions and other carcinogens plus dust from poorly filtered vacuums can have a negative impact on the health of students, staff and janitors. Thus, it is a good time for the building managers to make a move to green cleaning practice in school, as a rising number of green cleaning products that are much more effective are available. This study was hence conducted to identify the critical benefits that can be gained through the implementation of...