1. VOC Contamination in Hospital, from Stationary Sampling of a Large Panel of Compounds, in View of Healthcare Workers and Patients Exposure Assessment
- Author
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Sylvie Buffet-Bataillon, Vincent Bessonneau, Adèle Berrubé, Olivier Thomas, Luc Mosqueron, Gaël Mukensturm, Jean-Pierre Gangneux, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (Irset), Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie et Santé de Rennes ( Biosit : Biologie - Santé - Innovation Technologique )-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique [EHESP] (EHESP)-Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université d'Angers (UA), Veolia Environment Research & Innovation, Unité de contrôle infectieux, Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Hôpital Pontchaillou-CHU Pontchaillou [Rennes], Le Corre, Morgane, Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Rennes (UR)-École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique [EHESP] (EHESP)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie et Santé de Rennes ( Biosit : Biologie - Santé - Innovation Technologique ), and Université de Rennes (UR)-Hôpital Pontchaillou-CHU Pontchaillou [Rennes]
- Subjects
lcsh:Medicine ,MESH: Ketones ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Analytical Chemistry ,0302 clinical medicine ,Health care ,lcsh:Science ,Chromatography ,Multidisciplinary ,Sampling (statistics) ,Contamination ,Ketones ,MESH: Hospitals ,030210 environmental & occupational health ,Hospitals ,3. Good health ,Chemistry ,[SDV.MP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology ,Air Pollution, Indoor ,Medicine ,Public Health ,MESH: Environmental Monitoring ,Environmental Health ,Research Article ,Environmental Monitoring ,Ethers ,Indoor air ,Biology ,complex mixtures ,MESH: Volatile Organic Compounds ,Air Quality ,03 medical and health sciences ,Chemical Analysis ,Environmental health ,Environmental Chemistry ,Humans ,[SDV.MP] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology ,MESH: Alcohols ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Exposure assessment ,Gas Chromatography ,Volatile Organic Compounds ,MESH: Humans ,business.industry ,lcsh:R ,Quantitative Analysis ,13. Climate action ,Atmospheric Chemistry ,Alcohols ,MESH: Ethers ,lcsh:Q ,MESH: Air Pollution, Indoor ,Qualitative Analysis ,business - Abstract
International audience; BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess, for the first time, the nature of the indoor air contamination of hospitals. METHODS AND FINDINGS: More 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. CONCLUSION: For 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.
- Published
- 2013