title: Evaporation and skin penetration characteristics of mosquito repellent formulations.
abstract: Formulations of the mosquito repellent N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet) in combination with a variety of additives were developed to control repellent evaporation and percutaneous penetration. Deet was also formulated with the repellent dimethyl phthalate to study the interaction of the two compounds on the skin. The evaporation and penetration processes were evaluated on whole and split-thickness pig skin using radiolabeled repellents with an in vitro apparatus. Under essentially still air and air flow conditions, one of the deet formulations resulted in significantly reduced total evaporation and percutaneous penetration of deet as compared to unformulated repellent. When deet and dimethyl phthalate were combined, neither repellent affected the total amount of evaporation and penetration of the other compound. However, initial percutaneous penetration and evaporation rates were slightly less and decayed less rapidly than when both chemicals were tested separately at the same dose. These results indicated a degree of competition of the two compounds for the same avenues of loss.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cutaneous Hazards, Letterman Army Institute of Research, Presidio of San Francisco, CA 94129-6800.
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Reifenrath
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kurtz
mesh_terms: D000179:Acrylates; D000818:Animals; D001549:Benzamides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D009033:Culicidae; D003671:DEET / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D012828:Silicones; D012867:Skin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012869:Skin Absorption; D013552:Swine; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000179:Acrylates; D001549:Benzamides; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005227:Fatty Acids; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D012828:Silicones; C024629:dimethyl phthalate; D003671:DEET