title: Role of clothing in both accelerating and impeding dermal absorption of airborne SVOCs.
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/m(3)); for exposed clothes the results were 0.178 and 0.261 μg/kg/(μg/m(3)), 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.
authors.affiliation: Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Glenn C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.|Department of Civil Engineering, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Weschler
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bekö
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Holger M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer WKI, Bienroder Weg 54E, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Tunga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Salthammer
authors.affiliation: Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer WKI, Bienroder Weg 54E, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schripp
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jørn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toftum
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Geo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clausen
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000652:urine*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D003020:Clothing; D003718:Denmark; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012869:Skin Absorption; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds