Cleaning Products Commonly Used in Oklahoma Family Child Care Homes: Implications for Respiratory Risk and Children's Health

Abstract

Little is known about the cleaning products used by early care and education programs that contribute to childhood asthma, particularly in Oklahoma where rates of uncontrolled asthma are higher than national rates (60.0% vs. 50.3%, respectively). We conducted a cross-sectional study of cleaning products used by Oklahoma-licensed family child care homes (FCCHs) (n = 50) to characterize and identify potential respiratory-health risks associated with chemical contents. Overall, 386 chemicals were abstracted from the 132 reported products. Of these, 100 unique chemicals were identified. Four percent (4.2%) of providers used a product with a sensitizer that may cause allergy or asthma symptoms if inhaled and 35.4% used a product with an irritant that may cause irritation to the respiratory tract. Most (62.5%) reported using a product with a chemical that had a C=C double bond in its molecular structure that may make it highly reactive with other substances in the air and produce secondary air pollutants and 83.3% reported using a sodium hypochlorite containing product. Twenty-three percent reported products that contain carcinogens. Policy, educational, and technical assistance interventions are needed to promote the use of safer products and reduce respiratory and other health risks posed by chemicals in Oklahoma FCCHs.

Keywords: Oklahoma; asthma; chemicals; child care; children’s environmental health; early care and education.

Figure 1

Chemical designation criteria for chemical ingredients found in cleaning products reported by family child care home (FCCH) providers. This information was adapted from the United Nation’s Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals found at: https://unece.org/transport/standards/transport/dangerous-goods/ghs-rev9-2021 (accessed on 2 March 2020).