Preliminary assessment of personal exposure to emerging organic compounds in relation to occupational settings using silicone wristbands

Abstract

Emerging organic compounds (EOCs) in everyday products such as fragrances, preservatives and solvents are of concern because of their high concentrations in humans. These concentrations are associated with high daily exposure to cleaning and personal care products, especially in indoor environments with poor ventilation or frequent use of such products (e.g. hairdressing salons). In this study, we developed a fast and robust analytical method to evaluate personal exposure to EOCs depending on the occupational environment, using silicone wristbands (SWBs) as passive samplers. A multiresidue method based on ultrasound-assisted extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was optimised and validated to detect the following 22 EOCs: six synthetic musk fragrances, nine fragrances, two preservatives and five solvents. This method provided recoveries between 27 % and 92 % on sampled SWBs and method quantification limits between 0.006 μg/g and 0.11 μg/g. Applicability was tested in four different occupational settings with a pilot group of adults in Tarragona (Spain). Most of the target compounds were found at quantifiable levels, thus confirming the effectiveness of SWBs as personal passive samplers of EOCs. Musk fragrances stood out from the rest, with average concentrations of 18 μg/g and 9.4 μg/g in individuals working in offices and hairdressing salons, respectively. Galaxolide had the highest average concentrations, with values ranging from 2.0 μg/g to 14 μg/g. Risk assessment showed that musks, followed by solvents and preservatives, contributed the most to estimated daily intake. Non-carcinogenic dermal risk values were below safety thresholds, thus confirming that risk across all occupational settings evaluated was not significant.