title: Human skin in vitro percutaneous absorption of gaseous ethylene oxide from fabric.
abstract: Ethylene oxide, a colourless gas at ordinary room temperature and pressure, is widely used as a fumigant, coming in contact with clothing and human skin. It is genotoxic in somatic and germ cells. [1,2-14C]Ethylene oxide and fabric discs were sealed in a glass container; the fabric discs were then removed and placed on human skin mounted in glass diffusion cells. Percutaneous absorption was 1.3% of the dose when the fabric/skin surface was open to surrounding air, and increased to 46.0% when the surface was occluded with latex glove material. The absorption was rapid, occurring within the first 0-4 hr assay period. Absorbed chemical was confirmed to be unchanged ethylene oxide in the receptor fluid. This study also serves as a model for exposure of fabric/skin to any potentially hazardous gas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0989, USA.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wester
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hartway
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serranzana
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Maibach
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D003020:Clothing; D004058:Diffusion; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012869:Skin Absorption; D013784:Textiles
chemical_list: D005027:Ethylene Oxide