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| NIOSH Home > Safety and Health Topics >Skin Exposures and Effects >Occupational & Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals- 2005> Abstracts |
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Tape-strip Method Can Be Used to Measure Exposure of Ethyleneglycol Dimethacrylate (EGDMA) among Dental Technicians
I. Liljelind*1, L. Nylander-French2, K. Eriksson3 Background
Dental technicians are exposed to skin-irritating compounds, e.g., methyl methacrylate (MMA), ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). Dermal exposure to these chemicals combined with frequent hand washing may easily dry the skin and affect its protective capacity. Several studies have shown that (meth)acrylates represent a considerable risk factor for the induction of work-related skin problems, such as contact dermatitis of hands and, especially, fingers and fingertips during dental work. Although the observed clinical effects, no studies have been performed to estimate the potential dermal exposure. The objective of this study was to estimate the dermal exposure to EGDMA among dental technicians performing different tasks using a tape-stripping method. Methods
Ten dental technicians (seven men, three women) working at the same dental laboratory, participated in the study. Dermal exposure was measured immediately after the technician performed a task, which involved handling unpolymerised/reactive methacrylate. This task may have involved e.g., denture preparation or reparation. The exposures commonly lasted from two to 20 minutes. The tape-stripping method was used as follows; three consecutive 10 cm2 tapes were placed on three different sites on the skin - left or right forefinger tip, left or right palm of the hand, and lower part of a left or a right forearm. The exposure measurements were repeated two to three times for each individual with at least one month in between the measurements. The amount of EGDMA on each tape-strip was analysed by GC-FID. Results
Six of the dental technicians had dermal exposure ranging from detectable to ≈80 µg/cm2 of EGDMA. One technician had no detectable amount of EGDMA on the skin during any measurement occasions and three had only detectable amounts below LOQ. Exposure distribution was largest on fingertips followed by the palm of the hand and lower arm. The results indicated a descending chemical gradient from the first to the third tape-strip, indicating at least some penetration of EGDMA into the skin. Variation in exposure between workers at the same workplace and from one measurement occasion to the next was observed reflecting differences in work tasks and procedures. Conclusions
This study indicates that the tape-strip method can be used to measure the dermal exposure to EGDMA in the occupational exposure settings. The results show that dental technicians are exposed to various amounts of EGDMA at different parts of the hand and arm and during different work tasks. Forefinger tips are the most exposed sites. The fact that EDGMA was found in the successive tape-strip samples, corresponding to the deeper layers in the stratum corneum, indicates that EGDMA penetrates into the skin and, thus, may be available for skin metabolism and systemic circulation. |
