Cleaning has been identified as risk factor for respiratory effects such as asthma and asthma-like symptoms. Recent occupational hygiene analyses by the IST show a wide variety of constituents in cleaning products used in Switzerland. Although the exposure to individual chemicals is low, contact with mixtures of chemical families is higher, especially for glycol ethers. The toxicokinetics after exposure to a mixture of glycol ethers have not been investigated. It is likely that the substances' elimination rates from the body can be impacted or even delayed.
Several substances used in cleaning products are hazardous to health. One irritant and suspected sensitizer, monoethanolamine, was extensively used during floor stripping. Absorption rates might be altered as both inhalation and dermal routes of exposure are encountered during cleaning. The dermal route is particularly important for non volatile substances with frequent skin contact like monoethanolamine.
There is a need to perform toxicokinetic assessment of mixtures of glycol ethers, dermal permeation assessment for ethanolamines, use biological monitoring of cleaning workers to capture both routes of exposure, and determine the irritation potential of cleaning products on the market containing irritant constituents.
