VOC sources and exposures in nail salons: a pilot study in Michigan, USA
Open accessAbstract
PurposeExposures of nail salon technicians have received attention due to the potentially toxic materials used in nail products, which include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde and methyl methacrylate (MMA). This study characterized area and personal concentrations and other indoor air parameters in 17 nail salons in fall and winter seasons in three areas of Michigan.MethodsVOC samples were analyzed using thermal desorption, gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy, and the VOC composition of 35 nail products (e.g., polish, top coat, base coat) was measured using headspace sampling. Ventilation rates were derived using CO2 concentrations, occupancy and building information, and VOC sources were apportioned by a novel application of chemical mass balance models.ResultsWe detected ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, butyl acetate, MMA, n-heptane and toluene in most salons, and benzene, d-limonene, formaldehyde, and ethyl methacrylate in some salons. While MMA was not measured in the consumer and professional products, and the use of pure MMA in salons has been not been permitted since the 1970s, MMA was found in air at concentrations from 100 to 36,000 µg/m3 in 15 of 17 salons; thus its use appears to be commonplace in the industry. Personal measurements, representing exposures to workers and clients, were about twice those of the area measurements for many VOCs.ConclusionThis study identifies the products responsible for emissions, shows the widespread presence of MMA, and documents low ventilation rates in some salons. It also demonstrates that “informal” short-term sampling approaches can evaluate chemical exposures in nail salons, providing measurements that can be used to protect a potentially susceptible and vulnerable population. Additional controls, including restrictions on the VOC compositions and improved ventilation, can reduce exposures to salon workers and clients.
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Personal exposure measurements usually exceed indoor or area sampling levels; in hotels, this may be because housekeepers work in close, direct contact with cleaning agents.
“This omission is important since personal measurements typically exceed levels measured using indoor or area sampling; in hotels, this may result due to housekeepers’ close and direct contact with cleaning agents [25].”
From Occupational exposure and health risks of volatile organic compounds of hotel housekeepers: Field measurements of exposure and health risks (2021) · cites this paper as [25]
The Results and discussion section (page unavailable) reports that personal VOC measurements in nail salons generally exceeded area measurements, particularly for chemicals associated with salon products. The paper does not study hotels or housekeepers, so it does not establish that direct contact with cleaning agents explains their exposures. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPersonal samples are generally considered more representative of occupational exposure than indoor samples.
“Personal samples are generally considered to be more representative of occupational exposure than indoor samples [25].”
From Occupational exposure and health risks of volatile organic compounds of hotel housekeepers: Field measurements of exposure and health risks (2021) · cites this paper as [25]
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Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
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- Authors
- Zhong, L., Batterman, S., & Milando, C. W.
- Affiliations
- University of Alberta (CA)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Batterman, Stuart
- Venue
- International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
- Published
- 2018-10-01
- Volume
- 92
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 141-153
- ISSN
- 0340-0131 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-1246
- PMC
- PMC6325001
- OpenAlex
- W2894600264
- Semantic Scholar
- 758c4cb14b25965cc5a62c964bea727c363e44cc
- Cited by
- 62
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9
- FWCI
- 2.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (T42OH008455)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Occupational exposure and asthma
- Keywords
- nail salons, volatile organic compounds, methyl methacrylate, formaldehyde, nail products, indoor air quality, personal exposure, ventilation rate, chemical mass balance, source apportionment, occupational exposure
- MeSH terms
- Air Pollutants, Occupational, Carbon Dioxide, Cosmetics, Formaldehyde, Humans, Methylmethacrylates, Michigan, Pilot Projects, Seasons, Ventilation, Occupational Exposure, Air Pollution, Indoor, Volatile Organic Compounds
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