Prediction of Dermal Exposure to Chemical Substances Using a Fluorescence Method within the SysDEA Project

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Analytical Chemistry
• Exposure Science

Background:

• Dermal exposure is a critical route for occupational risk assessment.
• Accurate quantification of dermal exposure is essential for worker safety.
• Existing methods for dermal exposure measurement can be labor-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel fluorescence-based method for quantifying occupational dermal exposure.
• To assess the efficacy of this method across various simulated exposure scenarios.
• To establish the reliability and limitations of the fluorescence technique for risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• A fluorescence method using Tinopal SWN as a tracer was developed.
• Photographs of volunteers in simulated exposure situations were captured under controlled UV lighting.
• Image analysis software quantified fluorescence intensity, correlated with actual exposure via regression models.

Main Results:

• The fluorescence method demonstrated strong correlations (R > 0.77) for uniform exposure patterns, such as spraying liquids.
• Moderate to poor correlations were observed for non-uniform exposure scenarios (e.g., handling powders, pouring).
• A predictive model for spraying scenarios was developed and validated with high accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The fluorescence method is a promising tool for quantifying dermal exposure in uniform scenarios, particularly for spraying.
• Further research is needed to improve accuracy for less uniform exposure patterns.
• The method has potential applications in occupational risk assessment, with a recommended surface loading limit of <1.5 µg/cm².