What route of exposure is suspected when a child experiences dyspnea from mixing bleach with another cleaner?

When a child experiences dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, after mixing bleach with another cleaner, inhalation is the most likely route of exposure. Mixing certain chemicals, like bleach and ammonia, can produce toxic gases such as chloramine vapors, which can irritate the respiratory tract and lead to respiratory distress.

Inhalation exposure occurs when vapors or aerosols enter the lungs through breathing. Given that the child is experiencing respiratory symptoms, it strongly indicates that the harmful gases produced by the chemical reaction were inhaled. This contrasts with other routes such as absorption, which would involve skin contact; injection, which generally pertains to substances entering the body via a needle; or ingestion, which would involve swallowing the substance. In this scenario, the presence of dyspnea suggests that the respiratory system was the primary entry point, confirming inhalation as the route of exposure.