Accuracy of a semiquantitative method for Dermal Exposure Assessment (DREAM)

Area of Science:

• Occupational Hygiene
• Exposure Science
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• A novel observational method, the Dermal Exposure Assessment Method (DREAM), was developed for semiquantitative dermal exposure assessment.
• DREAM utilizes pre-assigned default values to systematically evaluate exposure determinants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the accuracy of the DREAM method.
• To compare DREAM estimates with quantitative dermal exposure measurements across various occupational settings.

Main Methods:

• Occupational hygienists used the DREAM questionnaire while observing workers.
• Quantitative skin and clothing exposure measurements were taken concurrently.
• Spearman correlation coefficients and mixed linear regression models analyzed the relationship between DREAM estimates and measured exposures.

Main Results:

• Spearman correlation coefficients for skin exposure ranged from 0.19 to 0.82 for individual observations.
• DREAM estimates effectively explained between-task variance in exposure levels on hands and forearms.
• Detailed DREAM estimates, including formulation concentration, were necessary for meaningful prediction of clothing layer exposures.

Conclusions:

• The DREAM method is suitable for semiquantitative dermal exposure assessment in epidemiological and occupational hygiene surveys with significant inter-group exposure variability.
• For surveys with low exposure contrast, quantitative measurements are recommended over the DREAM method.