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The objectives of this study were to develop a novel analytical method for quantifying vinyl chloride (VC) emitted from aerosol products, to provide analytical data on VC in aerosol products, and to evaluate consumer VC exposure by aerosol products. Our quantitative method involves absorbing VC into dimethyl sulfoxide and analyzing it using headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The correlation coefficients of the VC calibration curves were ≥ 0.9994 in the range of 0.16–80 µg/mL VC standard gases, which were prepared under either nitrogen or emission gases containing dimethyl ether or liquid petroleum gas. VC concentrations in these emission gases were calculated using a VC calibration curve from standard gases prepared under nitrogen; they were within ± 10% of the actual concentrations. We analyzed 39 household aerosol products; VC concentrations of 0.095, 0.098, and 0.28 μg/L were detected in three polyvinyl chloride spray paints. Consumer VC inhalation exposure level was estimated through an exposure scenario, and the hazard quotient was confirmed to be very low when comparing the exposure level with a cancer risk level of 10−5 for inhaled VC. These results suggest that the human health risk from VC in spray paint was low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, people have been wearing face masks for many hours every day. As these face masks are in contact with the skin, it is important to pay more attention to their quality and safety. This study examined the concentration of free formaldehyde in 90 non-medical face masks and related products (33 nonwoven, 30 woven cloth, 12 polyurethane, and 15 related products) because formaldehyde is a common contact allergen in textile products. For products consisting of mixed materials, each material was sampled, resulting in 103 samples for analysis. Free formaldehyde (34–239 μg/g) was found in three cloth masks, which consisted of cotton and polyester, with antibacterial and antiviral labeling. It was confirmed that the detected formaldehyde originated from the mask-finishing treatment by a hydrochloric acid extraction discrimination test. These masks may elicit contact dermatitis if the consumers have already been sensitized to formaldehyde. However, the risk of contact dermatitis caused by formaldehyde in masks may be considered low since the frequency of formaldehyde detection in masks in Japan is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]