4.1.1. Exposure to chemicals generated by the cleaning process itself
Cleaning stirs up dust, mixing it with the breathing air, sometimes at considerable levels that are liable
to cause health problems for cleaners and the building’s users [10]. Investigations of Jerrim et al [27]
showed that dry dusting disperses particles into the air immediately, and that the use of spray-polish, for
example, diminishes this dispersion phenomenon.
The very physical characteristics of dust of course play an important role in the toxicology of dust, but
not only. The toxicological properties of dust particles are also influenced by the hundreds of chemically
or biologically active components that the dust particles may contain. These active components can
enter the human body via several exposure routes, such as skin contact after re-suspension of dust and
deposition onto the skin; absorption through mucosal membranes of the eyes; or inhalation followed by
phagocytosis in the deep lungs and deposition into the lymph system, or followed by swallowing and
digestion. Each of the chemical or biological components of the dust may represent a different health
risk which may differ from one exposure route to another. In an experimental study by Molhave et al.
[28], about 11 kg of dust from vacuum cleaner bags from seven Danish office buildings with about 1047
occupants (12 751 m2) was analysed. In addition to micro-organisms (see 4.2.), desorbable VOCs
were detected at the level of 176-319 μg/g with a majority of aldehydes, in addition to plastic softeners
(dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP)). The dust was then re-suspended to
simulate and analyse the exposures that can result from the re-suspension of sedimented dirt and dust
from surfaces being cleaned. The dust content was similar to results reported in the literature and