THE ESSENTIAL
- Mopping would produce potentially toxic aerosols at rates similar to those generated by traffic on a busy street.
- According to the magazine 60 million consumers, sprays and wipes are the most harmful products for health.
“Cleaning surfaces with disinfectant products, the use of which has recently increased during the coronavirus pandemic, can generate secondary indoor pollutants in the form of gases and aerosols. It can also affect the quality of the indoor air and health”. This was indicated by a team of American researchers in a study published in the journal Science Advances February 25. In this work, scientists have revealed that scented cleaning products can expose us to as much pollution as an exhaust pipe.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists carried out an experiment to observe minute by minute what happens in the air when cleaning in a closed room. To do this, they polished the floor of an office with cleaning products. The authors then analyzed airborne particles, which were detected within minutes of using household cleaners.
1 to 10 billion nanoparticles inhaled per minute
They found that indoor concentrations of monoterpenes, particles that help cleaners smell good, exceeded outdoor concentrations by two orders of magnitude. These substances react with ozone and generate toxic fine particles. The latter can lodge in the airways at rates comparable to or greater than those from aerosol inhalation associated with vehicles, according to the results.
“One of the disturbances that humans introduce into the indoor environment is the use of household cleaning and disinfecting products, some of which have so-called natural scents, such as citrus or pine”, the researchers said. According to the data, a person would inhale 1 to 10 billion nanoparticles per minute, which is the equivalent of vehicular traffic on a busy street in a US or European city.
Ventilation is not enough
According to the authors, opening the windows to ventilate the room would not make it possible to overcome the polluting particles because this gesture might also bring in particles from the outside, which can be more harmful. Scientists have recommended using air filters to prevent the formation of particles or using natural products to combat toxic particles.