US EPA

3229677 

Journal Article 

Supplemental Data 

Impact of clothing on dermal exposure to phthalates: Observations and insights from sampling both skin and clothing 

Gong, M; Weschler, CJ; Zhang, Y 

2016 

Yes 

Environmental Science & Technology
ISSN: 0013-936X
EISSN: 1520-5851 

American Chemical Society 

Easton 

50 

8 

4350-4357 

English 

27007912 

10.1021/acs.est.6b00113 

WOS:000374707100024 

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/acs.est.6b00113
Exit
 

Clothing can either retard or accelerate dermal exposure to phthalates. To investigate the impact of clothing on dermal exposure to six phthalates (DMP/DEP/DiBP/DnBP/BBzP/DEHP) in real environments, two sets of experiments have been conducted: (1) Skin wipes were collected from 11 adults to examine the phthalate levels on both bare-skin (hand/forehead) and clothing-covered body locations (arm/back/calf); (2) Five adults were asked to wear just-washed jeans for 1 day (1(st) experiment), 5 days (2(nd) experiment), and 10 days (3(rd) experiment). Phthalate levels on their legs were measured on selected days during the wearing period, and phthalate levels in the jeans were measured at the end of each experiment and again after washing. Measured phthalate levels on body locations covered by clothing were lower than those on uncovered locations, but still substantial. Dermal uptake would be underestimated by a factor of 2 to 5 if absorption through body locations covered by clothing were neglected. Phthalate levels in the jeans and on the legs increased with the wearing time. However, the levels in the jeans and on the legs were not strongly correlated, indicating that other pathways, e.g, contact with bedding or bedclothes, likely contribute to the levels on the legs. The efficiency with which laundering washing removed phthalates from the jeans increased with decreasing Kow; median values ranged from very low (<5%) for DEHP to very high (∼75%) for DMP. 

Esters; Laundering; Location; Washing; Dermal exposure; Dermal uptake; Median value; On-body; Phthalates; Real environments; Potassium compounds; di(iso butyl)phthalate; phthalic acid benzyl butyl ester; phthalic acid bis(2 ethylhexyl) ester; phthalic acid derivative; phthalic acid dibutyl ester; phthalic acid diethyl ester; phthalic acid dimethyl ester; skin lipid; unclassified drug; phthalic acid; phthalic acid derivative; pollutant; absorption; adult; biological uptake; experimental study; phthalate; pollution exposure; sampling; skin; adult; arm; Article; back; clothing; concentration (parameters); controlled study; female; forearm; forehead; hand; human; laundry; male; sebum secretion; skin absorption; skin surface; summer; sweating; thermodynamics; thigh; vapor pressure; winter; analysis; chemistry; environmental exposure; leg; pollutant; skin; Adult; Clothing; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Humans; Leg; Male; Phthalic Acids; Skin