Role of Clothing in Skin Exposure to Di(n-butyl) Phthalate and Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) Phosphate: Experimental Observations via Skin Wipes

Skin exposure is an important pathway for exposure of humans to semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Existing studies have proven that clothing can either impede or aggravate skin exposure to SVOCs. The role of clothing is affected by two factors: clothing conditions (SVOC concentrations in clothing) and skin-to-clothing contact forms (direct and indirect contact). To reveal the co-effects of these two factors, a series of 3 h exposure experiments involving three participants were conducted. Two SVOCs commonly found in indoor environments, di(n-butyl) phthalate (DnBP, plasticizer) and tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP, phosphorus flame retardant), were selected as the target pollutants. The skin-wipe method was used to collect the amount of SVOCs on the skin surface to reflect the levels of skin exposure to SVOCs. The results indicated that the clothing already contaminated by DnBP and TCPP (SVOC-contaminated clothing) significantly aggravated skin exposure while the "clean" clothing (free of DnBP and TCPP) had significant impeding effects. Skin-to-clothing direct contact tends to maintain the effects of clothing condition on skin exposure, while indirect contact tends to weaken the effects of clothing condition. This study should be helpful for understanding the impacts of clothing on skin exposure to SVOCs.