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Total health assessment of chemicals in indoor climate from various consumer products

4 Criteria for selection of substances, products and housing rooms for model calculations

• 4.1 Background for prioritization of substances, products/articles, housing rooms etc.
• 4.2 Selection of substances
• 4.3 Prioritisation of housing room

4.1 Background for prioritization of substances, products/articles, housing rooms etc.

The major task in the project is to model the total exposure of chemicals which the dwellers may be exposed to from consumer products used different places in the house. Because it is impossible to calculate every possible scenario, it is essential to select the most critical situations and most important substances and products. The prioritization may be made from the following criteria:

1. The most important rooms in the dwelling to prioritize regards exposure are:
   • Rooms where the dwellers mostly stay,
   • Rooms found in all/many houses; thus most people are exposed,
   • Rooms where many household products are in operation,
   • Smaller rooms
   • Rooms with low air flow to the cleaner outdoor air (poor ventilation),
   • Rooms with other materials/processes, which could contribute to additional exposure (building materials, cooking, heating).
      
2. Those consumer products which potentially contribute most to the indoor pollution are:
   • Products found in many rooms,
   • Products used often and of many,
   • Products releasing or containing many dangerous substances.
      
3. The pollution by consumer products may evolve as:
   • Gaseous volatisation,
   • Formation of aerosols and particles, atomization,
   • Migration from articles,
   • Dust formation by wearing, house dust,
   • Sedimentation of airborne particles and house dust.
      
4. Regards exposure of people the following issues should be evaluated and prioritized:
   • Persistent, long-term exposure,
   • Exposure routes, inhalation, ingestion, skin contact,
   • Exposure in high concentrations,
   • Exposure to more substances with the same effect,
   • Exposure to the same substances from several product,
   • Exposure which is significant compared to other sources,
   • Exposure of more susceptible groups (sick, children, pregnant, seniors).
      
5. Among the substances the extremely dangerous persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic compounds should be prioritized:
   • Persistent organic pollutants (POPs),
   • Metals,
   • Highly acute toxic substances,
   • Carcinogens,
   • Reproductive hazards,
   • Endocrine disruptors,
   • Allergy/asthma causing substances,
   • Nervous system toxins.

4.2 Selection of substances

In consultation with DEPA 11 substances/groups were selected for model calculations and assessment. See Table 4.1:

Table 4.1: Prioritized substances.

Worst-case model calculations could, however, only be made for the 8 volatile substances (VOC): Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, phenol, benzene, toluene, xylenes, styrene and limonene, for which there were available and relevant emission data. Regards the less volatile substances (phthalates, brominated flame retardants and perfluoroalkylated substances) the exposures were evaluated based on content in house dust in a children’s room scenario with infants playing on the floor. That is discussed in Chapter 6.

4.3 Prioritisation of housing room

The most relevant rooms in the house to be selected for exposure to VOC, are:

1. A children’s room, where the most susceptible dwellers are mostly staying, and where many products are releasing substances,
2. A kitchen/family room in which many different activities occur, and
3. A utility room/hall in which the most polluting activities often occur, e.g. shoe polishing.

The model calculations are described in Chapter 5.

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Version 1.0 September 2006, © Danish Environmental Protection Agency