Cleaning reduces personal exposure of office staff by tens of percents

Office cleaning is reported to reduce surface and airborne concentrations of PM10 and biocontaminants, and is associated with a reduction in health complaints. It is believed that the lower airborne contaminant levels lead to reduced personal exposure, which could explains the health effects. No data on personal exposure were available. The authors have assessed personal exposure using a particle monitor based on Mie-scattering in a controlled office environment. The obvious dust resuspension by some office activities (document filing, the act of sitting down) was reduced if not nullified by targeted cleaning of files and chairs. Also, thorough office cleaning including vacuuming and damp wiping was able to reduce personal exposure with 25 to 50%, which is consistent with reported data on concentration reductions and health effects.