Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Research reports
Research into the field of dermal exposure to chemicals
originated from the agricultural industry and was directed
primarily towards exposure to pesticides (Durham and Wolff 1962).
Developments in measurement methods of dermal exposure have been
slow when compared to the developments for exposure to particulate
matter, gasses and vapours (Kromhout H & Vermeulen R.
2001).
The USA, Environmental Protection Agency (Mulhausen and Damiano
1998) and the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (European
Chemicals Bureau 1996) have developed models that are used in
pesticide regulation to predict the amounts of pesticide products
that deposit on the surfaces of work clothing and exposed
skin.
Measurement of dermal exposure and/or chemical uptake through the
skin is a difficult process, involving the use of either artificial
skin, wipe sampling methods from field studies or biological
monitoring (ECETOC 1994). Such techniques are time consuming,
expensive and the results are irreproducible.
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