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Volatile Organic Compounds Mixtures in Hospital Environment—The Common Exposure Scenario

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Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health

Part of the book series: Studies in Systems, Decision and Control ((SSDC,volume 202))

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Abstract

Chemical contamination is a reality in the hospital environment but unfortunately is rarely studied. However, if we consider that healthcare workers use a high diversity of products such as disinfectants, sterilizers, anesthetic gases, and much other is easy to recognize that workers and patients can be exposed to a complex mixture of chemicals. The aim of this study was to determine, through a review, the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mixtures in hospital environment. Results showed that a complex mixture of VOCs is normally present and this aspect should be reflected in the risk assessment process. Future research work must be developed related with the possible health effects caused by exposure to complex mixtures of chemicals.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to FCT—Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia for funding the project EXPOsE—Establishing protocols to assess occupational exposure to microbiota in clinical settings (02/SAICT/2016—Project nº 23,222).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. H&TRC—Health & Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

    Susana Viegas

  2. Centro de Investigação e Estudos em Saúde Pública, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, ENSP, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Susana Viegas

  3. ESTeSL- Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

    Margarida Mateus

Authors
  1. Susana Viegas
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  2. Margarida Mateus
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susana Viegas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. DPS, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

    Pedro M. Arezes

  2. DEM, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    João S. Baptista

  3. DPS, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

    Mónica P. Barroso

  4. DPS, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

    Paula Carneiro

  5. DPS, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

    Patrício Cordeiro

  6. DPS, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

    Nélson Costa

  7. Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Cruz Quebrada–Dafundo, Portugal

    Rui B. Melo

  8. DPS, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

    A. Sérgio Miguel

  9. Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Gonçalo Perestrelo

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Viegas, S., Mateus, M. (2019). Volatile Organic Compounds Mixtures in Hospital Environment—The Common Exposure Scenario. In: Arezes, P., et al. Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health. Studies in Systems, Decision and Control, vol 202. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14730-3_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14730-3_25

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-14729-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-14730-3

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