Study of Cleaners in San Antonio: Immunologic and Inflammatory Responses to Total Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Exposure - ABSTRACT
Hispanic women working as domestic cleaners are subject to both environmental and occupational
hazards because of where they live and work, and this makes this particular group of Hispanics especially
vulnerable. To our knowledge, studies have not examined the health impact of exposures to volatile organic
compounds (VOC) among Hispanic women who both live in environmental justice neighborhoods and work as
domestic cleaners.
Despite their large numbers in this country, US labor laws generally exclude domestic cleaners and thus
they have limited protections to, among other things: organize, earn minimum wage or overtime pay, have regular
breaks, and a healthy and safe work environment. This is particularly true in Texas (TX) which ranks among the
states with the highest number of these workers, yet their annual mean wage in TX is among the lowest in the
nation. Also, domestic cleaners, particularly in South Texas, are overwhelmingly minorities and are primarily
Hispanic or Latina women.
Women working as domestic cleaners are subject to a number of environmental and occupational hazards.
For example, exposure to hazardous chemicals in cleaning products, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
which have been associated with respiratory outcomes (e.g., wheeze, asthma, upper/lower respiratory tract
irritation). VOCs are also ubiquitous in the environment and the indoor and neighborhood environments represent
important determinants of total personal exposure, even among occupationally exposed person. Thus, in addition
to work-related VOC exposure, Hispanic women working as domestic cleaners may experience `double jeopardy',
with potentially significant VOC exposures in their home environments.
Our long-term goal is to reduce the burden of environmental and occupational hazards and related health
outcomes among vulnerable Hispanic women. The objective of this study is to use a community-engaged
approach to characterize individual, occupational, and neighborhood-level factors that influence personal air VOC
exposure among this overburdened group of Hispanic women in San Antonio, Texas, and to explore associations
between these exposures with biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. We will achieve this goal through
an ongoing academic-community partnership with a grassroots organization, Domésticas Unidas, an organization
that provides outreach and educational activities targeted toward Hispanic, often undocumented, women working
in San Antonio, primarily as domestic cleaners. The aims of this study are to (1) Assess personal air VOC exposure
and biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress among at-risk Hispanic women; (2) Evaluate key, potentially
modifiable, determinants of personal air VOC exposure of at-risk Hispanic women at home and work, and; (3)
Evaluate the association of personal air VOC exposure with biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress
among at-risk Hispanic women.
