Clean with chlorine: peak and short-term occupational exposure to airborne chlorine dioxide during hospital disinfection.
This study assessed occupational exposure to airborne chlorine dioxide (ClO2) during routine hospital disinfection using a rinsing bottle and textile cloth. Sixty-three personal measurements (>108 h) were collected in operating rooms, patient rooms, and a bed-disinfection unit using direct-reading e...
| Publicado en: | Annals of Work Exposures & Health Vol. 70; no. 5; pp. 1 - 15 |
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| Autores principales: | , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Oxford University Press / USA
Jul2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=195378265&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 195378265 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 23987308 KJ1E jtl: Annals of Work Exposures & Health issn: 23987308 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jul2026 vid: 70 iid: 5 pid: 622 pub: Oxford University Press / USA artinfo: ui: 195378265 195378265 195378265 10.1093/annweh/wxag042 195378265 ppf: 1 ppct: 14 formats: tig: atl: Clean with chlorine: peak and short-term occupational exposure to airborne chlorine dioxide during hospital disinfection. aug: au: Solbu, Kasper Smedbold, Hans Thore affil: Occupational Health Service, Diakonhjemmet, Hartvig Halvorsens vei 2C, Oslo N-0370, NorwayOccupational Health Service, Bærum Municipality, Arnold Haukelands plass 10, Sandvika N-1338, Norway sug: subj: Hospitals Sterilization and Disinfection Disinfectants Adverse Effects Chlorine Compounds Adverse Effects Occupational Exposure Evaluation Time Human Funding Source Norway Patients' Rooms Operating Rooms Disease Outbreaks Lung Diseases Symptoms Lung Diseases Chemically Induced Occupational Safety Task Performance and Analysis ab: This study assessed occupational exposure to airborne chlorine dioxide (ClO2) during routine hospital disinfection using a rinsing bottle and textile cloth. Sixty-three personal measurements (>108 h) were collected in operating rooms, patient rooms, and a bed-disinfection unit using direct-reading electrochemical sensors. Exposures were summarized as 8-h time-weighted averages (TWA-8h); fractions of time above 0.1 and 0.3 ppm; and 10 s, 60 s, and 15 min moving averages. TWA-8h exposures were generally below the Norwegian OEL-8h of 0.1 ppm. In contrast, short-term peak exposures were frequent and substantial: all tasks had at least one exceedance of 0.1 ppm on 10 s moving averages (Norwegian recommended reference period), and 78% of measured tasks exceeded 0.1 ppm on 60 s moving averages (German reference period). Peaks above 1.09 ppm (the instrument's upper reporting limit) occurred in 59% of tasks. Peaks above 0.3 ppm were typical across all task types, with the highest short-term exposures during disinfection of patient rooms and operating rooms, especially in periods of intensified activity during infectious outbreaks such as COVID-19. Individual work practices contributed to additional variability. The relatively long response time of the electrochemical sensor (t90 up to ∼160 s) likely led to underestimation of true peak magnitudes. Our findings add to emerging evidence that disinfectant use in healthcare is associated with acute respiratory symptoms, and that TWA-8h poorly capture short-term peak exposures. Together, these results underscore the need for revised safety protocols; re-evaluation of exposure limits and the definition of a ceiling value; improved sensor strategies; and clearer operational guidance on how ceiling/STEL metrics (including averaging time) should be applied, to ensure accurate monitoring and assessment for rapidly acting irritants (such as ClO2) in real-world hospital settings. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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