Measurement of Phthalates in Skin Wipes: Estimating Exposure from Dermal Absorption
- 17 June 2014
- journal article
- Published by American Chemical Society (ACS) in Environmental Science & Technology
- Vol. 48 (13), 7428-7435
- https://doi.org/10.1021/es501700u
Abstract
This study has determined the levels of six phthalates (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di(isobutyl) phthalate (DiBP), di(n-butyl) phthalate (DnBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)) in skin wipes; examined factors that might influence the levels, including body location, time of sampling, and hand-washing; and estimated dermal absorption based on the measured levels. Skin wipes were collected from the forehead, forearm, back-of-hand, and palm of 20 participants using gauze pads moistened with isopropanol. DiBP, DnBP, and DEHP were most frequently detected; DEHP levels were substantially higher than DnBP and DiBP levels, and DnBP levels were somewhat lower than DiBP levels. The levels differed at different body locations, with palm > back-of-hand > forearm ≥ forehead. Repeated wipe sampling from six participants over a 1 month period indicated that levels at the same body location did not vary significantly. The estimated median total dermal absorption from skin surface lipids on the palm, back-of-hand, arm, and head are 0.48, 0.68, and 0.66 (μg/kg)/day for DiBP, DnBP, and DEHP, respectively. These estimates are roughly 10-20% of the total uptake reported for Chinese adults and suggest that dermal absorption contributes significantly to the uptake of these phthalates. Washing with soap and water removed more than 50% of the phthalates on the hands and may be a useful tool in decreasing aggregate phthalate exposure.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (51136002)
- Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (2013B-2)
- Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2012BAJ02B03)
This publication has 49 references indexed in Scilit:
- Urinary Phthalate Metabolites Are Associated with Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference in Chinese School ChildrenPLOS ONE, 2013
- Endocrine Disruptors and Asthma-Associated Chemicals in Consumer ProductsEnvironmental Health Perspectives, 2012
- Comparative Assessment of Human Exposure to Phthalate Esters from House Dust in China and the United StatesEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2011
- Phthalate and PAH concentrations in dust collected from Danish homes and daycare centersAtmospheric Environment, 2010
- Intake of phthalates and di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate: Results of the Integrated Exposure Assessment Survey based on duplicate diet samples and biomonitoring dataEnvironment International, 2007
- Human exposure to phthalates via consumer productsInternational Journal of Andrology, 2006
- Occurrence of phthalates and musk fragrances in indoor air and dust from apartments and kindergartens in Berlin (Germany)Indoor Air, 2004
- Emission of phthalates from PVC and other materialsIndoor Air, 2004
- Emission of Di-2-ethylhexyl Phthalate from PVC Flooring into Air and Uptake in Dust: Emission and Sorption Experiments in FLEC and CLIMPAQEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2004
- Phthalates, Alkylphenols, Pesticides, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, and Other Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds in Indoor Air and DustEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2003