Piasecki and Kostyrko developed a method based on a decision matrix that includes six attributes: actual indoor air CO 2 concentration, TVOCs, and formaldehyde concentration, and their anthropogenic and construction product emissions to the indoor environment with a combined weighting scheme for an IAQ index equation. The excess lifetime cancer risk (average of 4.1 × 10‐5) still indicates a need to lower exposure by reducing or removing toxic constituents, especially formaldehyde, or by increasing ventilation rates.
VOC levels and the derived health risks in this study were at the lower range found in the US buildings. The composition and concentrations of the tested products and air samples helped identify possible emission sources, which included building sources (for formaldehyde), disinfection byproducts in the laundry room, and cleaning products. VOC levels were negatively correlated with estimated air change rates. Several workers had exposure to alkanes that could cause non‐cancer effects. VOCs of greatest health significance included chloroform and formaldehyde. Personal sampling of hotel staff showed a total target VOC concentration of 57 ± 36 µg/m3 (mean ± standard deviation), about twice that of indoor samples. We utilized indoor and personal sampling at two hotels, assessed ventilation, and characterized the VOC composition of cleaning agents. This study evaluates VOC exposures of housekeepers, sources and factors affecting VOC levels, and provides preliminary estimates of VOC‐related health risks. Little is known about their exposure to chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Hotel housekeepers represent a large, low‐income, predominantly minority, and high‐risk workforce.
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