Domestic service ANSES.
This comparison is not an exaggeration. A study from the University of Bergen, Norway, published in the scientific journal American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, revealed that cleaning without protection for years can cause lung damage similar to that of habitual smokers. The researchers analyzed the respiratory function of hundreds of women who worked as professional cleaners and concluded that continuous exposure to certain chemicals reduces lung capacity over time.
The problem isn’t the cleaning itself, but the lack of information and protection. Many of these workers spend between eight and ten hours a day cleaning different houses, which multiplies their exposure to volatile compounds. And although they don’t smoke, don’t drink, and lead healthy lives, their bodies are affected by years of unknowingly inhaling toxic substances.
