Occupational Exposures to Phthalates among Black and Latina U.S. Hairdressers Serving an Ethnically Diverse Clientele: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Hairdressers may be differentially exposed to phthalates through hair salon services provided and products used, yet no U.S. studies have investigated these exposures in this population. We characterized concentrations and exposure determinants to nine phthalate metabolites in postshift urine samples among 23 hairdressers from three Black and three Dominican salons, as well as a comparison group of 17 female office workers from the Maryland/Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Overall, hairdressers had higher metabolite concentrations than office workers. The geometric mean (GM) for monoethyl phthalate (MEP) was 10 times higher in hairdressers (161.4 ng/mL) than office workers (15.3 ng/mL). Hairdressers providing select services and using certain products had higher GM MEP concentrations than those who did not: permanent waves/texturizing (200.2 vs 115.4 ng/mL), chemical straightening/relaxing (181.6 vs 92.1 ng/mL), bleaching (182.3 vs 71.6 ng/mL), permanent hair color (171.9 vs 83.2 ng/mL), and Brazilian blowout/keratin treatments (181.4 vs 134.6 ng/mL). Interestingly, hairdressers providing natural services had lower GM MEP concentrations than those who did not: twists (129.1 vs 215.8 ng/mL), sister locs/locs (86.0 vs 241.9 ng/mL), and afros (94.7 vs 203.9 ng/mL). Larger studies are warranted to confirm our findings and identify disparities in occupational phthalate exposures.

Polyurethane Foam Face Masks as a Dosimeter for Quantifying Personal Exposure to Airborne Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds

“…It is also worth mentioning that naphthalene was detected as the most abundant PAH in all the sampling environments and was likely released from a variety of sources including vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, domestic cooking, mothballs, pest repellants, and so forth. − Naphthalene is classified as a Group 2B carcinogen by International Agency of Research on Cancer, and exposure to high levels of naphthalene may cause hemolysis, skin and eye irritation, and neurologic symptoms. ,, As the concentrations of naphthalene were significantly higher in domestic homes using mothballs and exceeded the long-term guideline value (10 μg/m 3 ) recommended by World Health Organization, the significant influence of naphthalene on indoor air quality should not be overlooked. High levels of phthalate esters were detected in the department store and hair salon locations and were most likely released from vinyl, cosmetic, and personal care products, which have been previously observed in occupational exposure studies of hair salon and perfume and cosmetic store environments. , …”

“…High levels of phthalate esters were detected in the department store and hair salon locations and were most likely released from vinyl, cosmetic, and personal care products, which have been previously observed in occupational exposure studies of hair salon and perfume and cosmetic store environments. 59,60 In addition, the DMG level detected in female bedroom 2 was around ∼6 times higher than the screening level (1 μg/ m 3 ) for the sum of DBEs recommended by the U.S. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. 61 Similar to terpenes, DBEs may react with indoor oxidative species and form secondary organic aerosol, which may pose greater health concerns than the health effects from DBE alone.…”

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Prediction of the Partitioning Constants (KH, Kiw, Kia) of 82 Legacy and Emerging Organic Contaminants at the Water–Air Interface

“…This list contains similar numbers of legacy contaminants, for which experimental data exist to verify partitioning and adsorption at the water–air interface for many compounds, and contaminants of emerging concern, which the US EPA and National Science Foundation (NSF) have identified as key research priorities, for which fewer experimental data exist. The contaminants span those classified as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), bioaccumulative endocrine disruptors detected in the blood of 98% of Americans; , nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ubiquitous pharmaceutical chemicals detected in drinking and groundwater that can cause adverse ecotoxicological effects; , phthalates, plasticizers widely used in personal care products with known epigenetic and endocrine-disrupting toxicological effects; − polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a key category of carcinogenic and/or mutagenic compounds associated with combustion processes; − polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of industrial persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that remains one of the predominant threats to water and air quality worldwide; − and multiple other compounds of concern in environmental or human health. ,− The list also includes seven compounds that are naturally present at or near the water–air interface, including biogenic semivolatile organic compounds that play important roles in aerosol chemistry and indoor air quality. , …”

Risk perception and use of personal care products by race and ethnicity among a diverse population

“…This is consistent with prior studies that indicate non-White racial/ethnic groups do not feel they have the proper knowledge about chemicals in PCPs [ 10 , 20 , 43 ]. This perception may be due to past lived experiences of racism in addition to medical and environmental injustices, as women of colour and low-income individuals are known to more frequently be exposed to social stressors and environmental hazards [ 13 , 44 – 48 ], have fewer choices available to them in terms of product quality and are frequent victims of unethical medical and environmental practices.…”