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Characterization of airborne particles from cleaning sprays and their corresponding respiratory deposition fractions

Lovén, Karin LU ; Isaxon, Christina LU ; Wierzbicka, Aneta LU orcid and Gudmundsson, Anders LU (2019) In Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 16(9). p.656-667
Abstract

Cleaning workers are exposed to many risk factors, including handling of cleaning products. Epidemiological studies show that they have a high incidence of asthma and other respiratory symptoms. Some studies have indicated an even higher incidence of asthma in individuals using cleaning sprays regularly. It is known that sprays produce an aerosol that can expose the respiratory system to chemicals. Knowledge of the physical characteristics of the airborne particles, as well as the characteristics of the gas phase, is needed to determine how they affect the respiratory tract and why they cause airway symptoms. The aim of this study was to characterize the aerosols from seven different ready-to-use trigger cleaning sprays in terms of... (More)

Cleaning workers are exposed to many risk factors, including handling of cleaning products. Epidemiological studies show that they have a high incidence of asthma and other respiratory symptoms. Some studies have indicated an even higher incidence of asthma in individuals using cleaning sprays regularly. It is known that sprays produce an aerosol that can expose the respiratory system to chemicals. Knowledge of the physical characteristics of the airborne particles, as well as the characteristics of the gas phase, is needed to determine how they affect the respiratory tract and why they cause airway symptoms. The aim of this study was to characterize the aerosols from seven different ready-to-use trigger cleaning sprays in terms of total airborne mass fraction, particle size distribution, and new particle formation from ozone reactions. An additional aim was to calculate the respiratory deposition fraction of the measured particles. The total airborne mass fraction was determined by comparing the mass deposited on the chamber wall with the mass emitted from the bottle during spraying. Particle number concentration and size distribution of the airborne particles were measured using an aerodynamic particle sizer and a fast aerosol mobility size spectrometer. The total airborne mass fraction was between 2.7% and 32.2% of the mass emitted from the bottle, depending on the product. Between 0.0001% and 0.01% of the total airborne mass fraction consisted of residual particles. However, these particles had a mass median aerodynamic diameter between 1.9 µm and 3.7 µm, constituting a total respiratory deposition of up to 77%. New particle formation in the presence of ozone was also shown to vary between 5,000 cm−3 and 35,000 cm−3 depending on the product, in the studied settings. These findings confirm that a substantial part (up to 1/3) of the mass sprayed from the bottle does not reach the intended surface. Thus, the use of cleaning sprays can result in chemical airway exposure, with particles in the relevant size range for both nasal and alveolar deposition.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Aerosol characterization, occupational exposure, particle size distribution, respiratory deposition fraction
in
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
volume
16
issue
9
pages
12 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85070329129
  • pmid:31361572
ISSN
1545-9624
DOI
10.1080/15459624.2019.1643466
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
94092fbd-cf18-4c1e-97c0-9ab875737ce7
date added to LUP
2019-08-23 13:42:51
date last changed
2024-04-16 17:58:33
@article{94092fbd-cf18-4c1e-97c0-9ab875737ce7,
  abstract     = {{<p>Cleaning workers are exposed to many risk factors, including handling of cleaning products. Epidemiological studies show that they have a high incidence of asthma and other respiratory symptoms. Some studies have indicated an even higher incidence of asthma in individuals using cleaning sprays regularly. It is known that sprays produce an aerosol that can expose the respiratory system to chemicals. Knowledge of the physical characteristics of the airborne particles, as well as the characteristics of the gas phase, is needed to determine how they affect the respiratory tract and why they cause airway symptoms. The aim of this study was to characterize the aerosols from seven different ready-to-use trigger cleaning sprays in terms of total airborne mass fraction, particle size distribution, and new particle formation from ozone reactions. An additional aim was to calculate the respiratory deposition fraction of the measured particles. The total airborne mass fraction was determined by comparing the mass deposited on the chamber wall with the mass emitted from the bottle during spraying. Particle number concentration and size distribution of the airborne particles were measured using an aerodynamic particle sizer and a fast aerosol mobility size spectrometer. The total airborne mass fraction was between 2.7% and 32.2% of the mass emitted from the bottle, depending on the product. Between 0.0001% and 0.01% of the total airborne mass fraction consisted of residual particles. However, these particles had a mass median aerodynamic diameter between 1.9 µm and 3.7 µm, constituting a total respiratory deposition of up to 77%. New particle formation in the presence of ozone was also shown to vary between 5,000 cm<sup>−3</sup> and 35,000 cm<sup>−3</sup> depending on the product, in the studied settings. These findings confirm that a substantial part (up to 1/3) of the mass sprayed from the bottle does not reach the intended surface. Thus, the use of cleaning sprays can result in chemical airway exposure, with particles in the relevant size range for both nasal and alveolar deposition.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lovén, Karin and Isaxon, Christina and Wierzbicka, Aneta and Gudmundsson, Anders}},
  issn         = {{1545-9624}},
  keywords     = {{Aerosol characterization; occupational exposure; particle size distribution; respiratory deposition fraction}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{656--667}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene}},
  title        = {{Characterization of airborne particles from cleaning sprays and their corresponding respiratory deposition fractions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2019.1643466}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/15459624.2019.1643466}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}