Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 9;14(1):23515. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-74857-9.
The presence of BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene) compounds in beauty salons has raised concerns about potential health risks. This study aimed to measure the levels of BTEX compounds in the air of beauty salons in Lahijan, Iran and assess the associated health risks. Air samples were collected from 15 beauty salons, and the concentrations of BTEX compounds were measured according to 1501 NIOSH standard method. The results showed that the mean concentrations of benzene (20.62 µg/m), toluene (18.3 µg/m), ethylbenzene (38.36 µg/m), and O and P-xylene (27.35, 23.6 µg/m) were above the recommended levels. The indoor to outdoor ratios for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, O and P-xylene were 3.04, 2.36, 3.75, 4.89, and 6.54, respectively. Also, the toluene/benzene (T/B) ratio in indoor and outdoor was 20.9 and 2.68 respectively. Almost half of the technicians (49.12%) reported adverse health effects, including joint pain, itchy eyes and nose, and respiratory allergies. The IARC guideline suggests that there is a potential risk of cancer development for individuals in all salons with LCR values exceeding 10, but the HQ index values indicate no non-carcinogenic risk. The findings suggest that beauty salon workers and customers are at risk of developing health problems from exposure to BTEX compounds. Effective risk management strategies, such as proper ventilation, use of personal protective equipment, and substitution of harmful chemicals with safer alternatives, to minimize exposure and protect the health of salon workers and customers recommended.
苯系物（苯、甲苯、乙苯和二甲苯）在美容院的存在引起了人们对潜在健康风险的关注。本研究旨在测量伊朗拉希詹市美容院空气中苯系物的浓度，并评估相关的健康风险。从 15 家美容院采集空气样本，根据 1501 NIOSH 标准方法测量苯系物的浓度。结果表明，苯（20.62μg/m）、甲苯（18.3μg/m）、乙苯（38.36μg/m）和邻位、对位二甲苯（27.35、23.6μg/m）的平均浓度均高于推荐水平。苯、甲苯、乙苯、邻位和对位二甲苯的室内外比值分别为 3.04、2.36、3.75、4.89 和 6.54。室内和室外的甲苯/苯（T/B）比值分别为 20.9 和 2.68。近一半的技术人员（49.12%）报告出现了不良健康影响，包括关节疼痛、眼睛和鼻子发痒以及呼吸道过敏。IARC 指南建议，所有 LCR 值超过 10 的沙龙中的个体都存在潜在的癌症发病风险，但 HQ 指数值表明不存在非致癌风险。研究结果表明，美容院工作人员和顾客因接触苯系物而面临健康问题的风险。建议采取有效的风险管理策略，如适当通风、使用个人防护设备以及用更安全的替代品替代有害化学品，以尽量减少暴露并保护沙龙工作人员和顾客的健康。
