Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Reactions of Cleaning Liquids and Chlorine Bleach Under Different Lighting Conditions
SOFIE SCHWINK, Ethan Richter, Marina Vance, University of Colorado Boulder
Abstract Number: 294
Working Group: Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Indoor and Outdoor Aerosol: Sources, Vectors, Reactivity, and Impacts
Abstract
Chlorine bleach is a commonly used cleaning product in homes around the world. The use of chlorine bleach leads to emissions of various gas-phase compounds, some of which can oxidize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and form secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in indoor environments. One common source of VOCs indoors is the use of volatile chemical products (VCPs), like cleaning products and personal care products. When gas-phase emissions from VCPs interact with chlorine bleach in the presence of light, SOA can form. We assessed SOA formation and properties when VOCs emitted from common cleaning products interacted with chlorine bleach under different lighting conditions. For these experiments, chlorine bleach was introduced overnight to a 0.55 m3 Teflon chamber in dark conditions. After introducing bleach overnight in the dark, a light source was turned on inside the chamber. Lighting types tested included 222 nm germicidal ultraviolet (GUV), 254 nm GUV, fluorescent, compact fluorescent, and incandescent lamps. For some experiments, we used an atomizer to generate ammonium sulfate seed in the chamber. Next, the cleaning liquid was introduced to the chamber by placing a small amount of it into an airtight container with air passing through it. We used a scanning mobility particle sizer to measure aerosol concentrations and size distributions and an aerosol particle mass analyzer to measure the mass of 60 nm, 80 nm, and 100 nm particles, which was used to calculate aerosol effective density. All products tested generated SOA under all lighting conditions. The lighting condition with the highest SOA yield was the 254 nm GUV lamp. Understanding differences in aerosol formation potential and properties from interactions of chlorine bleach with other common consumer products could help inform us about how these products impact indoor air quality.