Respiratory risk from hospital cleaning fluids

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Respiratory risk from hospital cleaning fluids

_http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/bc-rrf032509.php_

(http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/bc-rrf032509.php)

Cleaning fluids used in hospitals may pose a health risk to both staff and

patients. A pilot study published in BioMed Central's open access journal

Environmental Health has found that potentially hazardous chemicals are

contained

in a selection of agents used in several different hospitals.

 

 

The study was conducted at the University of Massachusetts Lowell

Sustainable Hospitals Program (_www.sustainableproduction.org_

(http://www.sustainableproduction.org/) ) and led by Anila Bello. Other team

members were Margaret

Quinn and Don Milton, also from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and

Melissa Perry, from the Harvard School of Public Health. They investigated the

cleaning materials and techniques used in six Massachusetts hospitals. Bello

said, **Cleaning products may impact worker, and possibly patient, health

through air and skin exposures. Because the severity of cleaning exposures is

affected by both product formulation and cleaning technique, a combination of

product evaluation and workplace exposure data is needed to develop strategies

that protect people from cleaning hazards.**

 

 

Cleaning products are complex mixtures of many chemicals including

disinfectants, surfactants, solvents, and fragrances. These ingredients are

representative of different chemical classes and have a very wide range of

volatilities

and other chemical properties. According to Bello, **The ingredients of

concern identified in our study included quaternary ammonium chlorides or

*quats*

that can cause skin and respiratory irritation. Some products contained

irritant glycol ethers that can be absorbed through the skin, as well as

ethanolamine – another respiratory and dermatological irritant. We also found

several

alcohols such as benzyl alcohol, ammonia and several phenols, all of which

can exert harmful effects on the body**.

 

 

As well as the composition of cleaning agents, the authors found that the

way the products were used affected exposure levels. Some tasks were associated

with higher exposures than others; the most hazardous exposure scenarios

occur when several cleaning tasks are performed in small and poorly ventilated

spaces, such as bathrooms.

 

 

The authors conclude, **Hazardous exposures related to cleaning products are

an important public health concern because these exposures may impact not

only cleaning workers, but also other occupants in the building**.

 

 

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Notes to Editors

1. Characterization of occupational exposures to cleaning products used for

common cleaning tasks-a pilot study of hospital cleaners

Anila Bello, Margaret M. Quinn, Melissa J. Perry and Donald K. Milton

Environmental Health (in press)

During embargo, article available here:

_http://www.ehjournal.net/imedia/8696966422000375_article.pdf?random=277190_

(http://www.ehjournal.net/imedia/8696966422000375_article.pdf?random=277190)

 

After the embargo, article available at the journal website:

_http://www.ehjournal.net/_ (http://www.ehjournal.net/)

 

Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the

web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge,

according to BioMed Central's open access policy.

Article citation and URL available on request at _press_

(press) on the day of publication.

 

 

2. Environmental Health is an Open Access, peer-reviewed, online journal

that considers manuscripts on all aspects of environmental and occupational

medicine, and related studies in toxicology and epidemiology. Environmental

Health is aimed at scientists and practitioners in all areas of environmental

science where human health and well-being are involved, either directly or

indirectly. It is a public health journal serving the public health community

and

scientists working on matters of public health interest and importance

pertaining to the environment.

 

 

3. BioMed Central (_http://www.biomedcentral.com/_

(http://www.biomedcentral.com/) ) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine)

publisher which has

pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles

published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online,

and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part

of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM

sector.