The DOI matches its Crossref record; 48 of the 48 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The role of skin absorption as a route of exposure for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in drinking water
Abstract
Assessments of drinking water safety rely on the assumption that ingestion represents the principal route of exposure. A review of the experimental literature revealed that skin penetration rates for solvents are remarkably high, and that the stratum corneum is a less effective barrier to penetration than traditionally assumed. Based on published skin absorption rates, we used Fick's law (Jos = Kop delta Cos) to determine permeability constants for selected compounds. We then calculated dose per kilogram for nine different exposure situations and compared this to the oral dose per kilogram. We found that skin absorption contributed from 29-91 per cent of the total dose, averaging 64 per cent. Dose per kilogram body weight ranged from .0002 mg/kg-.18 mg/kg, with an average of .03 mg/kg. In weak aqueous solutions, flux of the solute is directly proportional to concentration. Laboratory approaches differ markedly from environmental exposures and can underestimate absorption. We conclude that skin absorption of contaminants in drinking water has been underestimated and that ingestion may not constitute the sole or even primary route of exposure.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“The primary route of exposure to VOCs is by inhalation, although VOCs can be ingested through contaminated drinking water and can be dermally absorbed.”
From Environmental Chemical Exposures and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence (2014) · cites this paper as [81]
Citations
Cites
Scheuplein, R. J., & Blank, I. H. (1971) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.1971.51.4.702 · Cited by 1,399
Mechanism of Percutaneous Adsorption
Scheuplein, R. J. (1965) · Journal of Investigative Dermatology · doi:10.1038/jid.1965.140 · Cited by 438
Absorption of Some Organic Compounds Through the Skin in Man
FELDMANN, R. J., & Maïbach, H. I. (1970) · Journal of Investigative Dermatology · doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12259184 · Cited by 421
Regional Variation in Percutaneous Penetration in Man
Maibach, H. I., Feldmann, R. J., Milby, T. H., & Serat, W. F. (1971) · Archives of Environmental Health An International Journal · doi:10.1080/00039896.1971.10665987 · Cited by 400
Scheuplein, R. J., & Blank, I. H. (1973) · Journal of Investigative Dermatology · doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12723090 · Cited by 287
Chemical Composition of Human Skin Surface Lipids from Birth to Puberty
Ramasastry, P., Downing, D. T., Pochi, P. E., & Strauss, J. S. (1970) · Journal of Investigative Dermatology · doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12257164 · Cited by 183
Chlorinated hydrocarbons and the environment
McConnell, G. (1975) · Endeavour · doi:10.1016/0160-9327(75)90062-9 · Cited by 182
Metabolism and toxicity of styrene.
Leibman, K. C. (1975) · Environmental Health Perspectives · doi:10.1289/ehp.7511115 · Cited by 166
Marzulli, F. N., CALLAHAN, J. F., & BROWN, D. W. (1965) · PubMed · Cited by 163
Stewart, R. D., & Dodd, H. C. (1964) · American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal · doi:10.1080/00028896409342621 · Cited by 160
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 14
- Loomis T: Skin as a portal of entry for systemic effects. In: Drill V (ed): Cutaneous Toxicity. New York: Academic Press, 1980.
- Lahman S, 1970, Ind Med, 39, 46
- Dutkiewicz T, 1967, Br J Ind Med, 24, 330
- Dutkiewicz T, 1968, Br J Ind Med, 25, 243
- Tregear RT: Physical Function of Skin. London: Academic Press, 1966.
- Kronevi T, 1981, Int J Tiss Reac, 3, 21
- Steele R, 1966, Brit J Exper Pathol, 47, 612
- Linch A: Biological Monitoring for Industrial Chemical Exposure Control. Ohio: CRC Press, 1974.
- Grasso P, 1972, J Soc Cosmet Chem, 23, 481
- Weigand D, Haygood C, Gaylor J, Anglin J Jr: Racial variations in the cutaneous barrier. In: Drill V (ed): Current Concepts in Cutaneous Toxicity. New York: Academic Press, 1980.
- Malkinson F, Gehlman L: Factors affecting percutaneous absorption. In: Drill V, Lazar P (eds): Cutaneous Toxicity. New York: Academic Press, 1977.
- Sato A, 1978, Br J Ind Med, 35, 43
- Guillemin M, 1974, Br J Ind Med, 31, 310
- Wester R, Maibach H: Percutaneous absorption in man and animal: A perspective. In: Drill V, Lazar P (eds): Cutaneous Toxicity. New York: Academic Press, 1977.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–115 of 115
Multiple Pathway Exposure Factors (PEFs) Associated with Multimedia Pollutants
McKone, T. E. (1989) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-0511-8_18 · Cited by 1
Variação dos parâmetros físicos do campo ultra-sônico em fonoforese com diclofenaco gel
Cárnio, P. B. (2006) · doi:10.11606/d.82.2006.tde-30072007-160907 · Cited by 1
Dhaniram, D., Collins, A., Singh, K., & Voulvoulis, N. (2011) · doi:10.1002/9781119950127.ch6 · Cited by 1
Water Pollution and Chemical Contamination in Drinking Water
Coniglio, W. A., Berger, P. S., & Cotruvo, J. A. (1992) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-2447-6_4
McLellan, R. K. (2000) · Disease-a-Month · doi:10.1016/s0011-5029(00)90025-7
Health and Environmental Assessment of Plumbing Systems
Brown, S. L. (1985) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-312404-3.50014-9
MULTIPLE PATHWAY EXPOSURE FACTORS (PEFs)
Pollutants, I., & McKone, T. E. (1989)
Bogen, K. T., & McKone, T. E. (1989) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-5682-0_64
(2014) · CRC Press eBooks · doi:10.1201/b17276-2
(1995) · Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine · doi:10.3109/13590849509007240
Skin Contamination and Absorption of Chemicals from Water and Soil
Wester, R. C., & Maïbach, H. I. (2005) · CRC Press eBooks · doi:10.1201/9780849359033-10
Islam, M. M., Rahman, T., Urmi, A. A. Z., Mamun, M. I. R., & Shoeb, M. (2025) · Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences · doi:10.3329/jbas.v49i1.75146
Influence of Waste Water Disinfection Treatments on Some Genotoxic Chemical Micropollutants
Savino, A., Pasquini, R., Conti, R., Melchiorri, C., di Caro, A., Sebastiani, L., Grella, A., & Bonacci, S. (1988) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-009-2989-0_47
Metadata
- Authors
- Brown, H. S., Bishop, D. R., & Rowan, C. A.
- ORCID
- Brown, H S
- Venue
- American Journal of Public Health
- Publisher
- American Public Health Association
- Published
- 1984-05
- Volume
- 74
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 479-484
- ISSN
- 0090-0036 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-0048
- OpenAlex
- W2001635259
- Cited by
- 116
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 4.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Clark Digital Commons (Clark University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Water Treatment and Disinfection
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Contact Dermatitis and Allergies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Quality and Resources Studies
- Keywords
- percutaneous absorption, volatile organic compounds, drinking water, exposure pathways, stratum corneum permeability, skin permeability, Fick's law, oral exposure, dermal exposure, water contaminants
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Oral, Humans, Permeability, Skin Absorption, Solvents, Structure-Activity Relationship, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Water Supply
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review