Particulate Matter and Total Volatile Organic Compound Emissions Following Surface Cleaning: Comparison of Cleaning Agents and Locations

Abstract

Cleaning activities are essential for maintaining hygiene in indoor environments but can significantly influence indoor air quality (IAQ). We investigated emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) during cleaning events across various indoor settings including two laboratories, an office, and a residential bathroom, with room volumes ranging from 22 to 206 m³ and air changes rates (ACR) of 0.85–9.14 h^-1. Four cleaning solutions with different active ingredients were evaluated: quaternary ammonium compounds (quats), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), sodium hypochlorite (bleach), and thymol. Cleaning increased PM_2.5 by 0.7–14.5 μg m^–3, depending on location and cleaning solution, with quats generally yielding the greatest increases. Measured total volatile organic compound (TVOC) mixing ratios also increased following cleaning by 10–104 ppbv, with the exception of experiments performed using thymol. We note that sensors such as the photoionization detector (PID) used in this work do not provide quantitative TVOC measurements. In general, greater emissions of PM_2.5 and TVOCs were observed in locations with lower ACR. We also measured PM_2.5 in a lobby, elevator, and public bathroom in a hotel with a number of COVID-positive occupants during routine surface disinfection using a quats-based disinfectant: increases of 5.5–14.2 μg m^–3 were observed. This study demonstrates that emissions other than active ingredients can affect IAQ during surface cleaning, and provides information that may help mitigate harmful effects. It also provides insight into the use and limitations of low-cost sensors (LCS) in determining IAQ impacts from cleaning.