Logo image
Multiphase Chemistry Controls Inorganic Chlorinated and Nitrogenated Compounds in Indoor Air during Bleach Cleaning
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Multiphase Chemistry Controls Inorganic Chlorinated and Nitrogenated Compounds in Indoor Air during Bleach Cleaning

James M Mattila, Pascale S J Lakey, Manabu Shiraiwa, Chen Wang, Jonathan P D Abbatt, Caleb Arata, Allen H Goldstein, Laura Ampollini, Erin F Katz, Peter F DeCarlo, …
Environmental science & technology, v 54(3), pp 1730-1739
04 Feb 2020
PMID: 31940195
url
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b05767View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access (Publisher-Specific) Open

Abstract

Air Pollutants Air Pollution, Indoor Chlorine Gases Humans Hypochlorous Acid Ventilation
We report elevated levels of gaseous inorganic chlorinated and nitrogenated compounds in indoor air while cleaning with a commercial bleach solution during the House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry field campaign in summer 2018. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), chlorine (Cl ), and nitryl chloride (ClNO ) reached part-per-billion by volume levels indoors during bleach cleaning-several orders of magnitude higher than typically measured in the outdoor atmosphere. Kinetic modeling revealed that multiphase chemistry plays a central role in controlling indoor chlorine and reactive nitrogen chemistry during these periods. Cl production occurred via heterogeneous reactions of HOCl on indoor surfaces. ClNO and chloramine (NH Cl, NHCl , NCl ) production occurred in the applied bleach via aqueous reactions involving nitrite (NO ) and ammonia (NH ), respectively. Aqueous-phase and surface chemistry resulted in elevated levels of gas-phase nitrogen dioxide (NO ). We predict hydroxyl (OH) and chlorine (Cl) radical production during these periods (10 and 10 molecules cm s , respectively) driven by HOCl and Cl photolysis. Ventilation and photolysis accounted for <50% and <0.1% total loss of bleach-related compounds from indoor air, respectively; we conclude that uptake to indoor surfaces is an important additional loss process. Indoor HOCl and nitrogen trichloride (NCl ) mixing ratios during bleach cleaning reported herein are likely detrimental to human health.

Metrics

6 Record Views
109 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Engineering, Environmental
Environmental Sciences
Logo image