Indoor air pollution - classroom cleaning with green cleaners
Greener School Cleaners = Healthier Kids
Green Classroom Cleaning
Cleaning a model classroom with certified green cleaning supplies like Marauder, Glance NA, and Alpha HP resulted in emission of just 15 air contaminants. Overall air pollution was six times lower than a classroom cleaned with conventional products. See below for more information about the chemicals detected.
This classroom was cleaned using:
- Marauder Environmental Cleaner (floor)
- Glance Non-Ammoniated Glass & Multi-Purpose Cleaner (windows)
- Alpha HP Multi-Surface Cleaner (desks and other surfaces)
Green Certification: Green Seal
| 15 | Air Contaminants Detected |
| 13 | Ingredients disclosed by manufacturer |
| 10 | Chemicals that may arise from combined product use - not detected when products were tested separately (CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, FORMALDEHYDE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, DECYL ALCOHOL, NONANAL, DODECANE, ETHYLBENZENE, PENTADECANE, UNDECANE, ETHYLENE GLYCOL MONO-2-ETHYLHEXYL ETHER) |
Concerns of the chemicals detected
Key health concerns highlighted by major agencies (Study Methodology)| 1 | Chemicals cause asthma | FORMALDEHYDE |
| 2 | Chemicals on California's Prop 65 List for cancer and reproductive toxicity | FORMALDEHYDE, ETHYLBENZENE |
| 2 | Chemicals linked to cancer | FORMALDEHYDE, ETHYLBENZENE |
| 0 | Chemicals linked to reproductive toxicity | |
| 0 | Chemicals that disrupt hormones | |
| 0 | Chemicals toxic to the brain and nervous system | |
| No | Corrosive concentrate or dangerous pH |
The chemicals detected
| Chemical: | EWG's Skin Deep Toxicity Score: | Disclosed / Detected: | Further Toxic Concerns noted in EWG's Skin Deep database (2009): |
|---|---|---|---|
| FORMALDEHYDE | 10 | detected | Cancer, Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Violations, restrictions & warnings, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Occupational hazards, Biochemical or cellular level changes |
| FRAGRANCE | 8 | disclosed | Neurotoxicity, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Miscellaneous |
| HYDROGEN PEROXIDE | 8 | disclosed | Neurotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Occupational hazards |
| PROPYLENE GLYCOL # | 7 | detected | Cancer, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Enhanced skin absorption |
| SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE | 6 | disclosed | Cancer, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Contamination concerns (ETHYLENE OXIDE, 1,4-DIOXANE, ETHYLENE OXIDE, 1,4-DIOXANE) |
| ETHYLBENZENE #† | 6 | detected | Cancer, Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Endocrine disruption, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Occupational hazards |
| ALCOHOL DENATURED | 5 | disclosed | Cancer, Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Enhanced skin absorption, Occupational hazards |
| HEXYL ALCOHOL # | 4 | detected | Cancer, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Occupational hazards |
| SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE | 3 | disclosed | Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) |
| CAPRYLIC ALCOHOL # | 3 | detected | none identified |
| DECYL ALCOHOL # | 3 | detected | Cancer, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) |
| CYCLOHEXASILOXANE # | 2 | detected | Persistence and bioaccumulation |
| PHOSPHORIC ACID | 2 | disclosed | Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Occupational hazards |
| 2,6-DIMETHYL-7-OCTEN-2-OL # | 1 | detected | none identified |
| C9-11 PARETH-8 | 1 | disclosed | none identified |
| SODIUM XYLENE SULFONATE | 1 | disclosed | none identified |
| DODECYLBENZENE SULFONIC ACID | 1 | disclosed | none identified |
| PROPYLENE GLYCOL PROPYL ETHER | 1 | disclosed | Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) |
| NONANAL #† | 1 | detected | Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) |
| DODECANE # | 1 | detected | Persistence and bioaccumulation, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) |
| PENTADECANE # | 1 | detected | Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) |
| UNDECANE # | 1 | detected | none identified |
| Alkyl alcohol ethoxylates | 1 | disclosed | none identified |
| WATER | 0 | disclosed | innocuous |
| UNDECETH-5 | 0 | disclosed | none identified |
| ETHYLENE GLYCOL MONO-2-ETHYLHEXYL ETHER ** | 0 | detected | none identified |
| 2-PROPANOL, 1-(1-METHYLETHOXY) ** | 0 | detected | none identified |
| 1-PROPANOL, 2-(1-METHYLETHOXY)- * | 0 | detected | none identified |
Chemicals found in the separate product chamber tests, but not in this cleaning scenario: LIMONENE, ISOHEXADECANE, TOLUENE, OCTADECANE, UNDECYL ALCOHOL, 4-tert-BUTYLCYCLOHEXYL ACETATE, 1,3-DICHLORO-2-PROPANOL, 1-PROPANOL, 2-(2-HYDROXYPROPOXY), 1-DECANOL, 2-METHYL-
Laboratory Data Qualifiers
| #† Denotes quantified using multipoint authentic standard curve (post-calibration). Other VOCs quantified relative to toluene. |
| # Indicates AQS database match with a probability greater than 99%. |
| ** Indicates NIST/EPA/NIH best library match only based on retention time and mass spectral characteristics with a probability greater than 85%. |
| * Indicates NIST/EPA/NIH best library match only based on retention time and mass spectral characteristics with a probability greater than 80%. |