Workplace cleaning products can make asthma worse
Products such as bleach, glass cleaner, detergents and air fresheners exacerbated asthma-related symptoms for the women, and their reduced lung function lasted until the morning after exposure, in some cases worsening with time.
"These results support the importance of developing workplace health and safety practices designed to limit exposures to irritant chemicals in cleaning products," the study team wrote.
A wide variety of cleaning products are used by workers in settings like offices, factories and hospitals, says David Vizcaya, of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center.
Professional cleaning services are necessary to clean, disinfect, and control dust and mold on surfaces, but a number of studies have reported associations between exposure to cleaning products and asthma, the researchers note.
