Environmental risks from consumer products: Acceptable drinking water quality can produce unacceptable indoor air quality with ultrasonic humidifier use.
Sci Total Environ
; 856(Pt 1): 158787, 2023 Jan 15.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36116655
ABSTRACT
The commonly used consumer product of an ultrasonic humidifier (e.g., cool mist humidifier) emits fine particles containing metals from tap water used to fill the humidifier. The objectives are 1) predict emitted indoor air inhalable metal concentrations produced by an ultrasonic humidifier filled with tap-water containing As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Pb in 33 m3 or 72 m3 rooms with varying air exchange rates; 2) calculate daily ingestion and 8-h inhalation average daily dose (ADD) and hazard quotient (HQ) for adults and children (aged 0.25-6 yr); and 3) quantify deposition in respiratory tract via multi-path particle dosimetry (MPPD) model. Mass concentrations of indoor air metals increase proportionally with aqueous metal concentrations in fill water, and are inversely related to ventilation. Inhalation-ADDs are 2 magnitudes lower than ingestion-ADDs, using identical water quality for ingestion and fill-water. However, in the 33 m3, low 0.2/h ventilated room, inhalation-HQs are >1 for children and adults, except for Pb. HQ inhalation risks exceed ingestion risks at drinking water regulated levels for As, Cd, Cr, and Mn. MPPD shows greater dose deposits in lungs of children than adults, and 3 times greater deposited doses in a 33 m3 vs 72 m3 room. Rethinking health effects of drinking water and consumer products to broaden consideration of multiple exposure routes is needed.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Água Potável
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Poluição do Ar em Ambientes Fechados
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Metais Pesados
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article