Characterization of human exposure to VOCs produced from bleach and hydrogen peroxide disinfectants

The use of disinfectants within indoor spaces pose health risks to occupants as disinfectant byproducts can have long lifetimes in spaces with poor ventilation. To fully characterize the byproducts from consumer-grade bleach and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) indoor use, we sprayed 300 mL of each disinfectant onto tabletops in an environmental chamber. The concentrations of hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were elevated during spraying, either through direct emissions from the evaporating aqueous solution or by airborne chemical processes. The ventilation rate (2.8 hr^-1) brought down the concentrations of many compounds within 1-2 hours, but the concentration of numerous semi-volatile compounds stayed elevated for longer. In general, bleach was richer in compounds (either through additives or impurities), but the hydrogen peroxide produced many oxygenated species in the hours after the tabletop spraying event due to chemical reactions. This work has implications for ventilation necessary in public areas such as schools.