Consumer behaviour survey for assessing exposure from consumer products: a feasibility study.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Toxicology
• Consumer Product Safety

Background:

• Chemical safety assessments under REACH require evaluating consumer exposures from products.
• Accurate exposure modeling relies on data regarding substance properties, product composition, and consumer behavior.
• Existing methods for gathering consumer use data for modeling require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate methods for conducting consumer surveys to collect data for exposure modeling.
• To identify and retrieve information on frequency, duration, use amounts, and conditions for specific consumer products.
• To assess the feasibility of different data collection methods for consumer exposure assessment.

Main Methods:

• Feasibility study conducted in Germany.
• Utilized retrospective questionnaire methods: Consumer Product Questionnaire (CPQ) and Recall-Foresight Questionnaire (RFQ).
• Employed protocol methods: participant written reporting and video documentation.

Main Results:

• A combination of retrospective questionnaires and written protocols yielded valid and resource-efficient data.
• Obtained relevant information for all investigated parameters (frequency, duration, use amounts, conditions) and product types.
• Successfully gathered data applicable for exposure modeling.

Conclusions:

• The combined retrospective questionnaire and written protocol approach is recommended for large-scale consumer surveys.
• This methodology provides a valid and efficient means to collect essential data for chemical exposure modeling.
• Findings support improved chemical safety assessments and regulatory compliance for consumer products.