State Enterprise «L.I. Medved’s Research Center of Preventive Toxicology, Food and Chemical Safety», Kyiv, Ukraine

SUMMARY. Aim. To summarize and outline the major risks from using glass cleanersbased on literature data and own research work.Among the requirements for the risks of alcohol-based products, the main focus is the volatile chemicals in the human respiratory zone. Chronic uptake of alcohol into the human respiratory zone may occur in the cold seasons of the drivers-professionals of intercity and international traffic, on long journeys by daily public transport users, as well as during a lengthy schedule for drivers and passenger cars.

Methods. Several series of odorimetrical. sanitary and chemical studies have been carried out under various modeling conditions, analytical methods of examination have been applied to determine the main functional components. o achieve the target, air samples were taken in salons of cars of different brands within 30 minutes. before the use of the means, and then in the process of their use during the operation of the winders. Determination of the concentration of alcohols was carried out on a gas chromatograph "Color 500M" with a flame-ionization detector and gas chromatograph "Shimadzu-GC 2014 with a flame-ionization detector. he obtained results of simulation of the conditions of use of non-freezing detergents for washing automobile glass show that the content of their main functional components (isopropyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol) in the air of salons of cars is not found, their concentrations do not exceed the limits of determination of analytical methods of research.

Conclusions In keeping with the manufacturer's regulations for use, the modern household cleaning products used for washing glass made on the basis of ethyl or isopropyl alcohols can be attributed to products with a low risk for human health.

Keywords. means for washing glass, alcohols, surfactants, modeling conditions, car interior, degree of risk.

The vast majority of household glass cleansers and glass care products for motor vehicles are complicated by chemical compositions, which, if not follow the instructions for use, can cause a negative effect on human health. According to the formulation, these agents are very similar and, as a rule, the main component is alcohols. Recently, the issue of the danger to human health of the use of non-freezing glass cleansers for cars is being raised and circulated in the print media.

The majority of glass cleansers include ethyl, methyl or isopropyl alcohol since they are the least aggressive with respect to glass and car body parts made of rubber and polymer materials. Inhalation exposure to a human body of each of them at certain concentrations can cause negative reactions. MPC_{atm air} are the following: methyl alcohol — 0.5 mg/m³; isopropyl alcohol — 0.6 mg/m³, ethyl alcohol — 5.0 mg/m³. Chronic penetration of alcohol to the human breathing zone is most commonly occurring in the cold seasons in the  occupational drivers of intercity and international traffic, on long ways by daily public transport users, as well as during long-term schedules for drivers and passengers of passenger cars.

As established by the specialists of the Estonian Health Department, at the second minute after washing the glass, the content of methanol vapour in the air of the passenger compartment was 560 mg/m³, at the third minute — 740 mg/m³, at the fourth minute — 450 mg/m₃, and it significantly exceeded the maximum permissible concentration for air working zone (350 mg/m³ for 15 minutes) [1].

It should be noted that methyl alcohol can cause severe organic diseases of the nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, cardiovascular system, and eyes. Methyl alcohol is poisonous, 5–10 mL leads to severe poisoning, 30 mL and more is a lethal dose. [2]. In addition, there is a problem of abuse of alcohol-based agents. In connection with the aforementioned, Decree of the Chief State Sanitary Physician of Ukraine No. 41 as of 27.12.2007 ‘On the Prohibition of the Production and Sale of Care Agents for Vehicles containing Methyl Alcohol (Methanol)’ prohibited the production of methyl alcohol-containing glass cleansers.

Glass cleansers also include surfactants, usually non-ionic surfactants, organic solvents (propylene glycol), ammonium hydroxide, dyes, perfumes. It is important to emphasize that not only physically healthy people but also those who are weakened, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, etc. can be subjected to the negative influence of these substances.

The main way of accessing the human body for this group of household chemicals is inhalation. The literature data on the biological effects on the human body of alcohols indicate their pronounced narcotic effect, the ability to cause initially excitation, and then paralysis of the nervous system. Long-term chronic exposure to high doses may cause serious organic diseases of the nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, cardiovascular system, eyes (methanol) [3].

The mechanism of action of surfactant is based on the influence on the structure and permeability of biological membranes, which causes the most pronounced effects from the central nervous system, external respiratory organs and blood. At the same time, the vast majority of surfactants has relatively low toxicity, they can have irritating and resorptive effects on the skin and mucous membranes, and the greatest danger of surfactants and products on their basis for humans is manifested in their sensitizing effects, the ability to cause allergic reactions [4].                                          

Air contamination with chemicals is of a short-term local nature. However, due to convective air flows, they can spread in the air of the premises (indoors) and cause non-obvious but stable contamination. The parameters of the microclimate significantly affect the content of alcohols and surfactants in the air, increasing air exchange and increasing relative humidity significantly reduce their content.

Considering the above, we deem appropriate to consider the potential risk for consumer health from the use of glass and mirror cleansers, non-freezing agents for car window washers and anti-fogging liquids for personal protective equipment (gas masks) in this work.

The main consumer health hazards of chemical origin in the use of glass cleansers are inhalation way of exposure to the human body. Hygienic requirements, which ensure the safe use of household chemicals for human health, apply both to hygienic and toxicological parameters. Among the requirements for the risks of alcohol-based products, the main focus is the release of volatile chemicals into the human breathing zone.

Objective  is the assessment of risks of modern glass cleansers to human health, determining their compliance with hygiene requirements.

Materials and methods. Sanitary and chemical studies were carried out with a simulation of conditions of use of the agents:

• glass and mirror cleanser;
• non-freezing cleansers for car glasses (4 samples);
• anti-fogging and cleaning agents for personal protective equipment.

Test agents include isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) or ethyl alcohol (ethanol), non-ionic surfactants, propylene glycol, dye, and perfume. Depending on the alcohol component used, sanitary and chemical studies were conducted to determine the emission of isopropyl or ethyl alcohol in the air. When simulating the conditions of use of the agents, recommendations of manufacturers, presented in the instructions for the use of products were followed.

Conditions for simulating the use of glass and mirror cleansers: temperature — 20 ⁰С, exposure — 1 hour, the ratio of area and volume of air (aggravated) — 0.75 m²/m³. Determination of the concentration of alcohols was carried out on a gas chromatograph Tsvet 500M with a flame-ionization detector.

Conditions for simulating the use of non-freezing cleansers for car glasses: sampling of the air in the passenger compartment under the operation of window cleaners and constant use of agents: temperature 20 ⁰С, sampling time — 40 min with the rate of 1 L per minute. The determination was carried out on a gas chromatograph Shimadzu-GC 2014 with a flame-ionization detector.

Conditions for simulating the use of anti-fogging agent: Temperature — 20 ⁰С, exposure — 1 hour, the ratio of area and volume of air (aggravated) — 0.75 m²/m³. The determination was carried out on a gas chromatograph Tsvet 500M with a flame-ionization detector.

Sanitary and chemical studies of air samples were performed according to the procedure of determination of alcohols [5].

Results

Table 1

Odorometry parameters in simulating conditions for use of glass cleansers

As suggested by the results of the study, during the simulation of the processes for using glass and mirror cleansers, anti-fogging and cleansing liquids for personal protective equipment, isopropanol was not detected in the air, its contents did not exceed the limits of detection of the study procedure (see Table 2).

Table 2

Levels of emission of isopropanol in the air in simulating real conditions in terms of the use of glass cleansers

To simulate the conditions of use of non-freezing cleansing agents for car glass, the following products were investigated:

1. Turtle wax, Nanochem, LLC (Poland). Composition: water, ethanol, ethylene glycol, non-ionic surfactant <0.1 %, lemon flavouring agent, blue dye.
2. Aliaska tsytrusovyi, Delfin Industry Ukraine, LLC (Ukraine). Composition: water, isopropanol, glycols, amphoteric surfactants <0.5 %, flavouring agent, dye.
3. Hi-Gear, non-freezing windshield washer liquid, AGA Dnipro, Ltd (Ukraine) Composition: water, ethyl alcohol, surfactant, flavouring agent, dye.
4. Lesta, LLC (Lithuania). Composition: ethyl alcohol, surfactant up to 5 %, flavouring agent, dye.

To achieve the objective, air samples were taken in the passenger compartments of different brands within 30 minutes before the use of the agent, and then in the process of their use during the operation of the window washers.

The obtained results of simulation of the conditions of use of non-freezing cleansing agents for car glass show that the content of their main functional components (isopropanol or ethanol) in the air of passenger compartments was not detected, their concentrations do not exceed the limits of detection of analytical procedures of the study (see Table 3).

Table 3

Levels of emission of alcohols in the air of passenger compartment in simulating conditions in terms of use of non-freezing agents for car glass

Conclusion

While meeting regulations of use recommended by the manufacturer, studied modern household glass cleaners, produced on the base of ethyl or isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol or ethanol) should be classified as the low-risk products for human health.

REFERENCES

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3. Lazarev N.V. Vrednye veschestva v promyshlennosti / N.V. Lazarev // — L.,: Khimiya — 1971.

4. Voprosy bezopasnosti dlya zdorov'ya cheloveka tovarov bytovoj khimii pri provedenii gosudarstvennoj sanitarno-epidemiologicheskoj ekspertizy / O.A. Bobyleva, V.G. Gerasimova, S.V. Snoz, V.F. Shilina // Sovremennye problemy toksikologii. — 2006. — № 4. — S.38—43.

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Надійшла до редакції 11.09.2018 р.