Mopping the floors with pleasant-smelling cleaning products can produce dangerous airborne particles. No problem, just open your windows! Well, better don’t – here’s why.
You’re aiming for a spotless clean home, right? That might have an unexpected downside as a recent study finds: Just a few minutes of indoor mopping with a pleasant-smelling cleaning product can produce a surprising number of airborne particles, equivalent to the emissions from vehicles on a busy city street. This discovery raises concerns about the potential health effects on people who are frequently exposed to these particles.
The scientists focused on the primary and secondary emissions of the cleaning agents, and in particular on those that smell „naturally“ of citrus or pine. Such cleaners often contain monoterpenes, which are the main components of essential oils. Among the best known are limonene, alpha- and beta-pinene, and camphor.
These compounds readily interact with ozone, an outdoor pollutant and a key component of smog. When ozone infiltrates indoor spaces, it reacts with monoterpenes, transforming them into peroxides, alcohols, and other compounds that develop into airborne particles. These particles have the potential to deeply penetrate the lungs, irritating cells and, when exposed to high enough levels, resulting in health issues such as asthma. In susceptible individuals, the presence of particulate air pollution can even lead to heart attacks and strokes.
In order to capture primary and secondary emissions, the researchers established an experimental environment that, with about 20 m2, was similar to a conventional office. They cleaned this room for approximately fifteen minutes with a commonly available cleaner based on monoterpenes, while continuously studying the room’s atmosphere.
Based on the determined room air data, the scientists calculated that a person using such a cleaning agent would inhale about 30 to 40 µg of primary VOC per minute at the beginning of the cleaning process. Additionally, 0.1 to 0.7 µg of secondary organic aerosols would be produced as a result of the cleaner’s reaction with the room’s air. Of particular concern was the fact that indoor levels of monoterpenes exceeded outdoor concentrations by an astonishing factor of one hundred. This elevated concentration accelerates the rate of ozonolysis, even in environments with low ozone levels ( < 10 ppb). Moreover, the high number of sub-10-nm particles poses a respiratory risk comparable to or surpassing the inhalation of aerosols associated with vehicle traffic pollution.
While certain chemical compounds found in these products are already known to cause respiratory irritation and allergies, the discovery of secondary indoor pollutants introduces additional concerns. However, the authors emphasize that little is known so far about the toxicological profile of these particles in indoor environments. Despite these uncertainties, there is cause for concern for people who spend a lot of working time cleaning indoor surfaces, for example janitors or building cleaners.
One would think that the problem could be solved by simply opening the windows while cleaning. But it’s not that easy: The ventilation system in the experiment lacked sufficient strength to eliminate the particles. The researches note that ventilation can also bring in more ozone from outdoors which reacts with the monoterpenes. So, one solution could be intelligent ventilation, which would pay attention to the ozone levels outside, thereby helping to reduce the accumulation of harmful particles.
Image source: JESHOOTS.COM, Unsplash
