Health Effects of Traditional Cleaning Products

The professional cleaning industry strives to make the indoor environment clean, safe, and hygienic. Unfortunately, harmful side effects on human health and safety are associated with certain cleaning products and practices. For these reasons, environmental considerations should be a large part of janitorial management.

Health impacts from traditional cleaning practices and products affect both product users and building occupants. Janitorial staff often have direct contact with high concentrations of cleaning chemicals and therefore may suffer serious and direct injury. Occupants might be exposed to lower levels but over longer periods of time (longer hours each day and more days per year).

Both janitorial staff and building occupants can receive either "acute" or "chronic" exposure. Acute exposure means a single large exposure to a toxic substance, which may result in severe health problems or death. Acute exposures usually last no longer than a day, as compared to chronic exposures, which refer to many exposures over an extended period of time or over a significant fraction of a human's lifetime (7 years or more). Chronic exposure can cause long-term serious health effects.

Detailed health and safety side effects associated with specific chemicals can be found in several tables at the end of this chapter. Effects include:

Acute:

• Burns to eyes and skin: Burns can be caused in several ways, including contact with fire from a chemical that has ignited or contact with an acid or alkalis.
• Blindness: Eye contact with certain chemicals can lead to blindness or reduced eye functioning.
• Frostbite from cold aerosol temperatures: Aerosols often project their contents quickly and at very low temperatures. Contact as the substance discharges can lead to frostbite.
• Poisoning: Certain chemicals are toxic to humans. When they are absorbed by the body, they poison or contaminate human organs, leading to a range of health problems, including temporary illness, long-term injury, or death.
• Headaches: Headaches can result from a number of exposures to cleaning chemicals, including inhalation.
• Nausea or other gastrointestinal ailments: Gastrointestinal ailments can result from ingestion of harmful chemicals or as a side effect of chemical sensitivity or allergy.

Chronic:

• Reproductive disorders: Certain substances can cause harmful reproductive disorders such as birth defects in unborn children, damage to the male or female reproductive system, or may impact the cognitive development of the fetus child.
• Cancer: Substances that cause cancer, known as carcinogens, are found in solid, liquid and gaseous form, and several are ingredients in traditional cleaning products.
• Respiratory ailments: Chemicals in cleaning products and the vapors they emit can cause respiratory ailments such as allergies, asthma, reduced lung capacity, and injury to internal organs when absorbed by the bloodstream.
• Endocrine disruption: A variety of chemicals in cleaning products are endocrine disruptors-external agents that interfere with or mimic in some way natural hormones in the body. Endocrine disruption might result in cancer, harm to male and female reproductive systems, thyroid damage, or other adverse consequences.
• Chemical sensitization: This is an allergic condition that usually affects the skin or lungs. Once exposure to a substance has caused a reaction, the individual may be sensitized to it, and further exposure may elicit an adverse reaction, even at low levels.
• Allergies: Certain chemicals induce an allergic reaction in individuals who are sensitive to them. Reactions can be mild or severe, depending upon the amount and duration of exposure, as well as individual sensitivity. Reactions may include wheezing, skin irritation, and nausea, and can lead to serious harm or even death if not treated quickly and properly.

Acute and Chronic:

• Central nervous system disorders: The central nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, and their connecting nerves. Several chemicals have irreversible effects on the central nervous system.
• Mild or severe irritation of the skin and eyes: This can occur when chemicals come into contact with the skin or eyes. Symptoms of irritation include swelling, itching, or reddening.
• Kidney and liver damage: Several substances cause irreversible damage to the kidneys and liver as the body tries to detoxify itself after exposure.

Chemicals come in contact with the human body in several ways. Most contact results from improper handling and failure to follow directions (see Chapter 4 for more information on green cleaning practices), but indirect contact also occurs.

• Breathing or inhalation: Some gases and airborne particles, created by the evaporation of cleaning products and the disturbance of small bits of solid material during and after cleaning, can seriously harm humans.
• Skin, dermal barrier: Accidental spills and splashes and improper use of cleaning products can result in skin irritation or more serious internal injury. Dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), burns, sensitivity, and poisoning can occur when the skin is superficially irritated by harmful chemicals. Certain chemicals can also penetrate the skin, enter the bloodstream, and damage internal organs.
• Ingestion, eating, and drinking: Improper storage and misuse of cleaning chemicals, especially around food service areas, can lead to accidental ingestion. Ingested chemicals enter the bloodstream through the gastrointestinal tract, causing injury to it and other internal organs.

What is Sick Building Syndrome?

Poor indoor air quality and improper cleaning techniques can lead to "sick building syndrome." "Sick" buildings exhibit undesirable indoor environments that cause a variety of unhealthy symptoms, including:

• Sensory irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat leading to pain, dryness, stinging, hoarseness, and voice problems.
• Skin irritation that manifests itself as pain or reddening, smarting, itching, or dry skin.
• Neurotoxic symptoms that are associated with headaches, sluggishness, mental and physical fatigue, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, intoxication, and vomiting.
• Hypersensitivity reactions that include runny nose, teary eyes, asthma-like response, and hyperventilation.
• Odor and taste symptoms that include changed sensitivity in smelling and tasting as well as impressions of unpleasant odors and tastes.

It is important to note that in reality, there are no "sick buildings," only mismanaged or misguided maintenance practices that create an unhealthy environment.