Development of a personal passive air sampler for estimating exposure to effective chlorine while using chlorine-based disinfectants.

Abstract

With an increasing use of indoor disinfectants such as chlorine (Cl2) and hypochlorous acid, a convenient sampler for estimating exposure to oxidants, such as effective chlorine, is necessary. Here, we developed a personal passive air sampler (PPAS) composed of a redox dye, o‐dianisidine, in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sheet. o‐Dianisidine readily reacts with gaseous oxidants generated by bleach usage, and its color changes as the reaction progresses; hence, personal exposure to effective chlorine could be easily detected by the naked eye, while cumulative exposure could be determined by measuring concentrations of o‐dianisidine reacting with it. The PPAS was calibrated, and a sampling rate of 0.00253 m3/h was obtained using a small test chamber. The PPAS was tested with the help of ten volunteers whose personal exposure to Cl2‐equivalent gas was estimated after bathrooms were cleaned using spray and liquid‐type household disinfection products, and the accumulated exposure‐gas concentrations ranged from 69 to 408 ppbv and 148 to 435 ppbv, respectively. These PPAS‐derived exposure concentrations were approximately two orders lower than those estimated using ConsExpo, suggesting a significant overestimation by prevailing screening models, possibly due to the ignorance of transformation reactions.