Modeling Aggregate Exposures to Glycol Ethers from Use of Commercial Floor Products

Computer modeling of aggregate exposure provides the capability to estimate the range of doses that can occur from product use and to understand the relative importance of different routes of exposure. This paper presents an assessment of aggregate occupational exposure to two glycol ethers used as solvents in floor maintenance products for industrial and institutional facilities, using a simulation tool named PROMISE. Three commercial floor-care products were assumed to be applied in sequence—a floor stripper, then a floor cleaner, and lastly a protective coating. The glycol ethers modeled were ethylene glycol butyl ether (EGBE) in the floor stripper and in the floor cleaner, and dipropylene glycol methyl ether (DPGME) in the coating. Modeling uncertainty was assessed through a comparison of the PROMISE inhalation exposure estimates with those from an independent model (MCCEM), and parameter uncertainty was investigated using PROMISE software’s Monte Carlo simulation capabilities. Modeling results indica...