title: Dermal and pulmonary absorption of propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol from hand rubs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been shown that nontoxic concentrations of ethanol are absorbed after hand hygiene using ethanol-based hand rubs. This study investigated whether absorption of propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol from commercially available hand rubs results in measurable concentrations after use.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pulmonary and dermal absorption of propanol during hand rubs was investigated. Rubs contained 70% (w/w) propan-1-ol, 63.14% (w/w) propan-2-ol, or 45% (w/w) propan-2-ol in combination with 30% (w/w) propan-1-ol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Peak median blood levels were 9.15 mg/L for propan-1-ol and 5.3 mg/L for propan-2-ol after hygienic hand rubs and 18.0 mg/L and 10.0 mg/L, respectively, after surgical hand rubs. Under actual surgical conditions, the highest median blood levels were 4.08 mg/L for propan-1-ol and 2.56 mg/L for propan-2-ol. The same procedure performed with prevention of pulmonary exposure through the use of a gas-tight mask resulted in peak median blood levels of 1.16 mg/L of propan-1-ol and 1.74 mg/L of propan-2-ol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only minimal amounts of propanols are absorbed through the use of hand rubs. Based on our experimental data, the risk of chronic systemic toxic effects caused by hand rubs is likely negligible. However, our study did not evaluate the consequences of long-term daily and frequent use of hygienic hand rubs.
authors: Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Greifswald, Germany. below@uni-greifswald.de
authors: Harald
authors: H
authors: Below
authors: Ivo
authors: I
authors: Partecke
authors: Nils-Olaf
authors: NO
authors: Huebner
authors: Nora
authors: N
authors: Bieber
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Nicolai
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Usche
authors: Ojan
authors: O
authors: Assadian
authors: Elke
authors: E
authors: Below
authors: Günter
authors: G
authors: Kampf
authors: Wolfram
authors: W
authors: Parzefall
authors: Claus-Dieter
authors: CD
authors: Heidecke
authors: Dariusz
authors: D
authors: Zuba
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Bessonneau
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Kohlmann
authors: Axel
authors: A
authors: Kramer
mesh_terms: D000433:1-Propanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D019840:2-Propanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000042:Absorption; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D000433:1-Propanol; D019840:2-Propanol