Ammonia Exposure and Hazard Assessment for Selected Household Cleaning Product Uses

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bronstein R ; Fedoruk MJ ; Kerger BD ; Bronstein R ; Fedoruk MJ ; Kerger BD
• Description:
  There is scant information pertaining to airborne ammonia exposures from either spills or common household uses of ammonia-containing floor and tile cleaners or from spray-on glass cleaners. We assessed instantaneous and event-specific time-weighted average (TWA) exposures to airborne ammonia during spills and use (per label directions) of a household floor and tile cleaner and two spray-on window cleaners. Airborne ammonia levels measured at breathing zone height (BZH) above the spilled floor and tile cleaner product reached 500 p.p.m. within 5 min, while levels for spilled window cleaner were below 8 p.p.m. TWA exposures were assessed while tile walls and floors were cleaned in three different bathrooms of a residence, and during use of a spray-on glass cleaner while washing several large windows in an office setting. NIOSH Method 6015 was utilized with concurrent field measurements every 60 s using a Drager PAC III monitor with an electrochemical cell detector. Peak ammonia levels ranged from 16 to 28 p.p.m. and short-term TWA concentrations ranged from 9.4 to 13 p.p.m. during mixing (0.1% ammonia) and cleaning tiles in the three bathrooms. Ammonia exposures while using spray-on window cleaner were over 10-fold lower (TWA=0.65 p.p.m.). Use of the floor and tile cleaner mixed at 0.2% ammonia led to peak airborne ammonia levels within 3-5 min at 36-90 p.p.m., and use of full strength cleaner (3% ammonia) led to peak ammonia levels of 125 to >200 p.p.m. within 2-3 min. Spillage or intentional use of the full strength floor and tile cleaner led to airborne ammonia concentrations that exceed occupational short-term exposure limits, while spillage or use of the spray-on window cleaner did not approach potentially hazardous airborne ammonia levels and likely represents a minimal inhalation health hazard. We conclude that routine household uses of ammonia are unlikely to produce significant exposures when using standard cleaning solutions (0.1-0.2%), but spillage or use of concentrated ammonia solutions (e.g., 3%) in poorly ventilated areas can lead to potentially hazardous airborne ammonia exposures. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Ammonia Hazardous Substances Household Work Occupational Health Respiratory System Safety
• Keywords:
  Airborne Author Keywords: Household Chemical Hazards Cleaners Cleaning Compounds Exposure Exposure Assessment Housekeeping Products Inhalation Inhalation Studies
• ISSN:
  1053-4245
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Florida ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Volume:
  15
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058430
• Citation:
  J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 2005 Nov; 15(6):534-544
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Brent D. Kerger, 2976 Wellington Circle West, Tallahassee, FL 32309, USA
• Email:
  brentkerger@att.net
• CAS Registry Number:
  Ammonia (CAS RN 7664-41-7) ; Ammonia (CAS RN 7664-41-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2006
• Performing Organization:
  University of California Los Angeles
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:32d1ed35a0ce64ab9123305072bdb04e7a6827bfc499a7b87b000163784321b571bdd0efe080774ba59314f17972111d18b10485d3bed9d2040ae236f9411402
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/221522/cdc_221522_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 246.20 KB ]