The impact of the new Cleaning Products Fact Sheet 2018 on consumer exposure estimation

Abstract

Consumers come into contact with chemical substances by using cleaning products. Accurate estimation of human exposure is a necessity in assessing the potential risks of chemical substances in consumer products. The Cleaning Products Fact Sheet that supports in estimating such exposure has been recently revised. New data collected from literature and re-interpretation of existing data has led to the adjustment of a number of default values used for exposure calculations. For some cleaning products (such as all-purpose cleaner spray and bathroom cleaner spray) increased exposure values are calculated, whereas for other products (such as liquid laundry detergent and liquid floor cleaner) the calculated exposure value seems to decrease. This is shown by RIVM research in which the impact of new data on estimated human exposure to substances in cleaning products has been investigated. Consumer exposure estimates based on the content of the Cleaning Products Fact Sheet of 2006 were compared to those based on the updated content in 2018. The impact was evaluated and found to depend on the way the product is used, its substance ingredients, and whether the exposure is via dermal contact or inhalation of substances. The Cleaning Products Fact Sheet was developed to support the users of ConsExpo, a computer model developed by RIVM for calculating human exposure to substances in consumer products. This fact sheet describes the default models to use and the default values to insert in order to perform a standardised and transparent consumer exposure estimation for substances in cleaning products