Occupational Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Including Aldehydes for Swedish Hairdressers. 2023

Niklas Ricklund, and Ing-Liss Bryngelsson, and Jessika Hagberg
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Faculty of Business, Science and Engineering, Örebro University, SE 70182 Örebro, Sweden.

Working as a professional hairdresser involves the daily usage of many different hair treatment products containing chemicals in complex mixtures. Exposure may induce symptoms in the airways and on the skin. In this study, exposure of hairdressers to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including aldehydes, was measured in the personal breathing zone in the spring of 2017. The study included 30 hairdressers evenly distributed over ten hair salons in the town of Örebro, Sweden. Work tasks and indoor climate were also surveilled. A hazard index (HI) based on chronic reference values for health was calculated to indicate combined exposure risk. In total, 90 VOCs, including nine aldehydes, were identified. Individual exposure expressed as a total concentration of VOCs (TVOCs) were in the range of 50-3600 µg/m3 toluene equivalent (median 460 µg/m3) and the HI was in the range 0.0046-13 (median 0.9). Exposure was more strongly influenced by variability among hairdressers than among salons. The HI indicated an increased risk of non-carcinogenic effects (HI ≥ 1) at four of the 10 hair salons. Individual working procedures, ventilation, volumetric usage of hair treatment products, certain chemicals in products (formaldehyde, isopropanol, and 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate), and availability of reference values may have affected estimates of exposure risks. Nevertheless, the HI may be suitable as a screening tool to assess potential exposure risk posed to hairdressers since it considers the complexity of chemical mixtures and the chronic component of VOC exposure occurring in all indoor environments.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D005557 Formaldehyde A highly reactive aldehyde gas formed by oxidation or incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. In solution, it has a wide range of uses: in the manufacture of resins and textiles, as a disinfectant, and as a laboratory fixative or preservative. Formaldehyde solution (formalin) is considered a hazardous compound, and its vapor toxic. (From Reynolds, Martindale The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed, p717) Formalin,Formol,Methanal,Oxomethane
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000447 Aldehydes Organic compounds containing a carbonyl group in the form -CHO. Aldehyde
D013548 Sweden Country in northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Finland and Norway. The capital is Stockholm.
D016273 Occupational Exposure The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents that occurs as a result of one's occupation. Exposure, Occupational,Exposures, Occupational,Occupational Exposures
D055549 Volatile Organic Compounds Organic compounds that have a relatively high VAPOR PRESSURE at room temperature. Volatile Organic Compound,Compound, Volatile Organic,Compounds, Volatile Organic,Organic Compound, Volatile,Organic Compounds, Volatile

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