| Title: | Cleaning workers' exposure to volatile organic compounds and particulate matter during floor polish removal and reapplication |
| Author(s): | Ruokolainen J; Hyttinen M; |
| Address: | "Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland" |
| DOI: | 10.1080/15459624.2019.1646915 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1545-9632 (Electronic) 1545-9624 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The floor polish removal (FPR) and reapplication (FPA) are important cleaning tasks in public buildings that have hard floor surfaces. Usually, the FPR and FPA are conducted once or twice a year, during the periodic cleaning of these buildings. The FPR can be performed either chemically (CFPR) or by using dry scrubber (DFPR), when the polish is ground from the floor. In this study, cleaning workers' exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) during the FPR and FPA, and the differences in the exposures between the two FPR methods were investigated. In total, three buildings located in Central Finland were included, and total of six cleaning workers (two per building) participated in the study. In Buildings 1 and 2, the CFPR and FPA were performed and in Building 3, the DFPR was conducted. TVOC (total volatile organic compounds) concentrations in the breathing zone of the workers during the CFPR were 8,740 and 390 microg/m(3) (SD 3,290 and 180 microg/m(3)) for Buildings 1 and 2, respectively. During the DFPR in Building 3, the average TVOC concentration was 400 microg/m(3) (SD 180 microg/m(3), stationary sampling). The TVOC concentrations during the FPA were high, 1,640 and 2,170 microg/m(3) on average (SD 1,570 and 930 microg/m(3)) for Buildings 1 and 2, respectively. Glycol ethers were the most prominent VOCs during the CFPR and FPA, whereas carboxylic acids were the most common during the DFPR. The inhalable dust concentrations in the workers' breathing zone were noticeably higher during the DFPR (1.55 mg/m(3) on average, SD 0.01 mg/m(3)) than the CFPR (0.24 mg/m(3) on average, SD 0.05 mg/m(3)). Finnish occupational exposure limit value for organic inhalable dust is 5 mg/m(3). As the products used during the CFPR and FPA contain glycol ethers and ethanolamines that are absorbed via the skin as well, the use of skin protection is recommended. Whereas the use of FFP3 respirators and skin protection are recommended during the DFPR to prevent the PM exposure" |
| Keywords: | "Air Pollutants, Occupational/*analysis Carboxylic Acids/analysis Dust/*analysis Ethers/analysis Floors and Floorcoverings Glycols/analysis Household Work/*methods Humans Industrial Oils Inhalation Exposure/*analysis/prevention & control Occupational Expos;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineRuokolainen, Joonas Hyttinen, Marko eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2019/08/08 J Occup Environ Hyg. 2019 Oct; 16(10):685-693. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2019.1646915. Epub 2019 Aug 7" |
