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Role of clothing in both accelerating and impeding dermal absorption of airborne SVOCs

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 26, pages 113–118 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

To assess the influence of clothing on dermal uptake of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), we measured uptake of selected airborne phthalates for an individual wearing clean clothes or air-exposed clothes and compared these results with dermal uptake for bare-skinned individuals under otherwise identical experimental conditions. Using a breathing hood to isolate dermal from inhalation uptake, we measured urinary metabolites of diethylphthalate (DEP) and di-n-butylphthalate (DnBP) from an individual exposed to known concentrations of these compounds for 6 h in an experimental chamber. The individual wore either clean (fresh) cotton clothes or cotton clothes that had been exposed to the same chamber air concentrations for 9 days. For a 6-h exposure, the net amounts of DEP and DnBP absorbed when wearing fresh clothes were, respectively, 0.017 and 0.007 μg/kg/(μg/m3); for exposed clothes the results were 0.178 and 0.261 μg/kg/(μg/m3), respectively (values normalized by air concentration and body mass). When compared against the average results for bare-skinned participants, clean clothes were protective, whereas exposed clothes increased dermal uptake for DEP and DnBP by factors of 3.3 and 6.5, respectively. Even for non-occupational environments, wearing clothing that has adsorbed/absorbed indoor air pollutants can increase dermal uptake of SVOCs by substantial amounts relative to bare skin.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Louise B. Weschler for her assistance with these experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri, USA

    Glenn C Morrison

  2. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

    Charles J Weschler

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

    Charles J Weschler, Gabriel Bekö, Jørn Toftum & Geo Clausen

  4. Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, Bochum, Germany

    Holger M Koch

  5. Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer WKI, Bienroder Weg 54E, Braunschweig, Germany

    Tunga Salthammer & Tobias Schripp

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  1. Glenn C Morrison
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  2. Charles J Weschler
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  3. Gabriel Bekö
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  4. Holger M Koch
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Correspondence to Glenn C Morrison.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology website

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Morrison, G., Weschler, C., Bekö, G. et al. Role of clothing in both accelerating and impeding dermal absorption of airborne SVOCs. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 26, 113–118 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2015.42

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