Search

The characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from several consumer and commercial products (body wash, dishwashing detergent, air freshener, windshield washer fluid, lubricant, hair spray, and insecticide) were studied and compared. The spray products were found to emit the highest amount of VOCs (~96 wt%). In contrast, the body wash products showed the lowest VOC contents (~1.6 wt%). In the spray products, 21.6–96.4 % of the VOCs were propane, iso-butane, and n-butane, which are the components of liquefied petroleum gas. Monoterpene (C10H16) was the dominant component of the VOCs in the non-spray products (e.g., body wash, 53–88 %). In particular, methanol was present with the highest amount of VOCs in windshield washer fluid products. In terms of the number of carbon, the windshield washer fluids, lubricants, insecticides, and hair sprays comprised >95 % of the VOCs in the range C2–C5. The VOCs in the range C6–C10 were predominantly found in the body wash products. The dishwashing detergents and air fresheners contained diverse VOCs from C2 to C11. Besides comprising hazardous VOCs, VOCs from consumer products were also ozone precursors. The ozone formation potential of the consumer and commercial spray products was estimated to be higher than those of liquid and gel materials. In particular, the hair sprays showed the highest ozone formation potential.

Chemicals are widely used in our daily lives for various purposes such as disinfectant, air fresher, paints and hair spray. However, their pulmonary toxicity has less studied compared with oral and dermal toxicity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine comparative cytotoxicity of triclosan (TCS), benzisothiazolinone (BIT), dichlorophene (DCP) and citral (CTR) major using spray-type chemicals used in household products (CHPs) in Korea. TCS, DCP and BIT induced more severe mitochondria injury and cell membrane damage than CTR in lung epithelial cell during 24 hrs exposure. Furthermore, the result of clonogenic assay revealed that exposure of CHPs significantly decreased colony size and that BIT reduced cell growth at most compared with TCS, DCP and CTR. In summary, results of comparative cytotoxicity demonstrated that inhalation of TCS, DCP and BIT may cause pulmonary toxicity. Therefore, our results suggest that TCS, BIT and DCP are requiring inhalation toxicity assessment for maintaining a high quality of life.

Diethyl phthalate (DEP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are used extensively in personal care products, including fragrances (DEP) and nail polish (DnBP). Between May 2003 and July 2006, we gathered questionnaire data on use of 7 product categories (deodorant, perfume, hair spray, hair gel, nail polish/polish remover, liquid soap/body wash, lotion/mist) over 48 hours during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy from 186 inner-city women. A 48-hour personal air sample was collected and analyzed for DEP and DnBP; a maternal spot urine sample was collected and analyzed for their monoester metabolites, monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), respectively. Ninety-seven percent of air samples and 84% of urine samples were collected within ±2 days of the questionnaire. During the 48 hours, 41% of women reported perfume use and 10% reported nail polish/polish remover use. In adjusted analyses, no association was seen between nail product use and air DnBP or urine MnBP concentrations. Women reporting perfume use had 2.3 times higher (95% CI 1.6, 3.3) urinary MEP concentrations. Personal air DEP increased 7% for each 25% increase in a composite indicator of the 6 other product categories (p

Objectives: The reported mutagenic and carcinogenic effects of some chemicals present in hair dyes have raised concern that hair dye use could increase breast cancer risk. This case–control study evaluated how detailed aspects of hair coloring and hair spray application by reproductive-age women may affect breast cancer risk. Methods: Cases were white female residents of three counties of western Washington state 45 years of age or less, who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 1983 and 1990 (n = 844). A sample of similarly aged women residing in the same counties served as controls (n = 960). Information on hair coloring and hair spray use, as well as other exposures, was ascertained during in-person interviews. Results: Breast cancer cases were slightly more likely than controls to report ever having used some type of hair coloring application, including use of rinses, semi-permanent or permanent dyes, as well as bleaching then dyeing or frosting their hair (relative risk [RR] = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.0–1.6, adjusted for age, fullterm pregnancies, family history of breast cancer, and weight). In subgroup analyses, women with exclusive use of just one of these methods of hair coloring application had no elevation in risk (similarly adjusted RR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.9–1.3), whereas women who used two or more of these methods did have an elevated risk (RR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4–2.5). Hair spray use was not related to the risk of breast cancer (ever versus never users: RR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.8–1.3). Conclusion: The lack of an association between exclusive use of a single type of hair coloring application and breast cancer risk argues that hair coloring application does not influence breast cancer risk among reproductive-age women. Thus, the results of the present study, as well as negative ones from most (but not all) prior studies, are most consistent with the conclusion that neither hair coloring application nor hair spray application influences breast cancer risk.

A 66-year-old woman who had used hair lacquer several times a day for many years presented with a clinical picture of diffuse interstitial pulmonary disease. A systemic and lung immune reaction was indicated by a high proportion of lymphocytes and elevated IgG and IgA in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, numerous plasmocytes in the lung biopsy and LE cells and antinuclear antibodies (1/1000) in the peripheral blood. A lacquering agent (copolymer maleic anhydride-butylic alcohol) was detected in the biopsy by nuclear magnetic resonance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of such an agent in the lung of a subject with thesaurosis.

The acute effect of hair spray on small airway function was studied in 11 healthy subjects by recording maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curves while the subjects were breathing first air (Ar) and then a 80% helium-20% oxygen mixture (He). The flow rate response of breathing He compared to Ar (delta MEF50) at 50% of the control forced vital capacity (FVC), and the point of identical flow on Ar and He MEFV curves, known as volume of isoflow (VisoV) were measured. Eight of 11 subjects reacted to the hair spray by demonstrating a decrease in the MEF50 and delta MEF50 although the difference was not significant. However, there was a significant increase in VisoV at 12,20 and 30 min post exposure. VisoV may be a sensitive index in detecting small airway dysfunction following acute exposure to hair spray.

The respiratory deposition patterns of hair spray aerosol inhaled via oral and nasal passages were measured in nine nonsmoking human subjects. For the first hour following inhalation, small airway resistance changes were determined using the flow rate at 40% vital capacity during an expiratory flow effort following partial inspiration. Oral aerosol deposition averaged 52% of the total respiratory tract deposition, while the nasal deposition average was 97%. Decreases in the expiratory flow rate at 40% vital capacity averaged 16% for mouth breathing and 10% for nasal breathing. A majority of the subjects experienced cough, phlegm, a burning sensation in the throat, and chest tightness up to 2 h after mouth breathing; the symptoms occurred much less frequently following nasal breathing and persisted for a shorter time. The inhaled aerosol size distribution has a mass median diameter of 7.8 µm and a geometric standard deviation of 2.0.

Observation of two patients with hair-spray induced lung disease have prompted us to study the ultrastructure of the lung lesion. We have compared the results with experimental lesions in animals injected with hair-spray extracts and with human monocyte cell cultures exposed to hair-spray. The lungs show a chronic alveolitis with a striking granulomatous reaction including macrophages and multinucleated giant cells of the foreign body type. The intraalveolar and interstitial macrophages and the giant cells all contain PAS-positive material. Ultrastructurally distinct lamellar inclusions are found in the secondary lysosomes of the macrophages and giant cells. Identical structures can be produced in animals injected with hair-spray extracts and with polyvinyl-pyrrolidone and -acetate (PVP/PVA), which are regular ingredients of hair-sprays. Large, presumeably polymeric particles (PVP/PVA) are ingested by giant cells. This "gigantophagocytosis" is associated with the fusion of mononuclear phagocytes and leads to the genesis of giant cells. In cell cultures of human blood monocytes hair-spray extracts and PVP/PVA induce maturation and aggregation of these cells, with PAS-positive cytoplasmatic inclusions. The development of multinuclear giant cells in these monocyte cell cultures is also seen. These observations suggest that hair-spray induced lung disease is caused by the prolonged and extensive body response of the local mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS). Overstimulation of the MPS leads to a quantitative and qualitative change which is followed by a partial blockade of this system. The alveolitis is a consequence of the foreign body response to inhaled hair-spray substances.

Although 30 healthy subjects had no mean adverse function effects from a single hair-spray exposure, a decrease in FEF75% and an increase in the slope of the alveolar plateau appeared to differentiate smokers from nonsmokers. These individuals continued to use the same aerosol for 20 s daily during the next year. Lung and forced expiratory volumes, derivatives of MEFV curves, closing volume information and the phase III slope, determined every 3 months, furnished 20 serial indices.