VOC Contamination in Hospital, from Stationary Sampling of a Large Panel of Compounds, in View of Healthcare Workers and Patients Exposure Assessment

Abstract

BackgroundWe aimed to assess, for the first time, the nature of the indoor air contamination of hospitals.Methods and FindingsMore than 40 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including aliphatic, aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, ethers and terpenes were measured in a teaching hospital in France, from sampling in six sampling sites – reception hall, patient room, nursing care, post-anesthesia care unit, parasitology-mycology laboratory and flexible endoscope disinfection unit – in the morning and in the afternoon, during three consecutive days. Our results showed that the main compounds found in indoor air were alcohols (arithmetic means ± SD: 928±958 µg/m3 and 47.9±52.2 µg/m3 for ethanol and isopropanol, respectively), ethers (75.6±157 µg/m3 for ether) and ketones (22.6±20.6 µg/m3 for acetone). Concentrations levels of aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes and limonene were widely variable between sampling sites, due to building age and type of products used according to health activities conducted in each site. A high temporal variability was observed in concentrations of alcohols, probably due to the intensive use of alcohol-based hand rubs in all sites. Qualitative analysis of air samples led to the identification of other compounds, including siloxanes (hexamethyldisiloxane, octamethyltrisiloxane, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane), anesthetic gases (sevoflurane, desflurane), aliphatic hydrocarbons (butane), esters (ethylacetate), terpenes (camphor, α-bisabolol), aldehydes (benzaldehyde) and organic acids (benzoic acid) depending on sites.ConclusionFor all compounds, concentrations measured were lower than concentrations known to be harmful in humans. However, results showed that indoor air of sampling locations contains a complex mixture of VOCs. Further multicenter studies are required to compare these results. A full understanding of the exposure of healthcare workers and patients to complex mixtures of chemical compounds can then be related to potential health outcomes.

Chemical Characterization of the Indoor Air Quality of a University Hospital: Penetration of Outdoor Air Pollutants

“…Indoor TVOC concentrations were observed to be in a similar range as reported in other studies in healthcare centers [20,21]. In a previous hospital-based study similar concentrations of alcohols were observed at around 1000 μg/m 3 for ethanol and 100 μg/m 3 for isopropanol [20,22]. Acetone levels were all below the 95th percentile of 30.6 μg/m 3 , as earlier reported for indoor air of public buildings [5].…”

Exposure to volatile organic compounds in healthcare settings

“…Exposure levels were higher for some VOCs such as ethanol, and lower with multiple measurements below the LOD for VOCs such as methyl methacrylates. Comparable exposure data were reported in a study of VOC exposures in six locations at a hospital in France35 where the highest mean exposure levels were for ethanol (928 µg/m 3 ) and isopropanol (48 µg/m 3 ). They measured the highest alcohol concentrations in postanaesthesia care, nursing care and the hospital room.…”

Respiratory Symptoms in Hospital Cleaning Staff Exposed to a Product Containing Hydrogen Peroxide, Peracetic Acid, and Acetic Acid

“…Cleaning staff are often exposed to a complex mixture of irritants and sensitizers (Bessonneau et al , 2013; Gonzalez et al , 2014; Melchior Gerster et al , 2014). Exposure to cleaning agents with sporicidal activity such as glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, and chlorine compounds is associated with adverse health outcomes which include upper airway irritation and irritant or sensitizer induced asthma (AOEC, 2015).…”