A video imaging technique for assessing dermal exposure. I. Instrument design and testing

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Dermal exposure is a significant route of occupational absorption for many chemicals.
• Accurate measurement of dermal exposure is crucial for risk assessment and implementing effective control measures.
• Existing methods for quantifying dermal exposure can be labor-intensive or lack precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new, objective method for measuring dermal exposure using video imaging technology.
• To assess the accuracy and reliability of the developed method for quantifying fluorescent tracers on the skin.
• To establish the detection limits and potential limitations of the new measurement technique.

Main Methods:

• Development of a system employing video imaging technology and fluorescent tracers for dermal exposure assessment.
• Examination of workers under long-wave ultraviolet light post-exposure.
• Quantification of skin fluorescence using a television camera interfaced with a microcomputer.
• Calibration of the instrument to accurately measure a range of fluorescent tracer densities.

Main Results:

• The developed instrument demonstrates high stability over extended periods of use.
• Accurate quantification of a wide range of fluorescent tracer densities on the skin is achievable through proper calibration.
• The method has a lower limit of detection of 100 ng/cm2.
• Quenching of fluorescence limits the upper range of quantitation at very high tracer levels.

Conclusions:

• The new video imaging method provides a stable and accurate means for measuring dermal exposure.
• This technology offers a valuable tool for occupational health monitoring and assessing skin contamination.
• Further research may explore extending the upper quantitation limit and applying the method to various occupational scenarios.