Release of ethanol to the atmosphere during use of consumer cleaning products

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.1990.10466756· OSTI ID:5320294

Wooley, J; Nazaroff, W W ^[1]; Hodgson, A T ^[2]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley (USA)
2. Lawrence Berkeley Lab., Berkeley, CA (USA)

Liquid laundry and hand dish washing detergents contain volatile organic compounds, including ethanol, that may be liberated during use and contribute to photochemical air pollution. In this study, the release of ethanol to the atmosphere during simulated household use of liquid detergents was measured. Three replicate experiments, plus a blank, were conducted in a 20-m{sup 3} environmental chamber for each of four conditions: typical dish washing (DT), high-release dish washing (DH), typical laundry (LT), and high-release laundry (LH). Average amounts of ethanol transferred to the atmosphere per use (and the fraction of ethanol used so liberated) were 32 mg (0.038) for DT, 100 mg (0.049) for DH, 18 mg (0.002) for LT, and 110 mg (0.011) for LH. Thus, a large fraction of the ethanol added to wash solutions with liquid detergents is discharged to the sewer rather than transferred to the atmosphere during use.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5320294
• Journal Information: Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association; (United States), Vol. 8, Issue 8; ISSN 1047-3289
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ETHANOL
POLLUTION SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
DETERGENTS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SIMULATION
ADDITIVES
ALCOHOLS
EMULSIFIERS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MONITORING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SURFACTANTS
WETTING AGENTS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)