Anderson Kimberly R, Callaway Perri, Virjii M Abbas
Field Studies Branch, Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia.
J Occup Environ Hyg. 2025 Jun;22(6):482-494. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2025.2468931. Epub 2025 May 6.
Nail polishes contain over a dozen chemical compounds, including chemicals that can cause adverse reproductive outcomes and pose a risk to the high proportion of nail salon workers who are women of childbearing age. Consumer demand has resulted in a shift toward more natural products, with manufacturers attempting to remove harmful ingredients (n-free products). Many products that claim to have eliminated toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) are labeled as "3-free"; however, studies have found these products often contain higher concentrations of toluene and DBP compared to products with no such claims. Products used only at salons are not required to list ingredients, leading to uncertainties as to the exact chemical composition and potential exposures. A better understanding of chemical exposures associated with nail polish products is necessary to understand potential worker exposures and develop effective control options. This study evaluated chemical exposures generated while painting nails with 20 n-free polishes using real-time and time-integrated air sampling. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs, PID, ION Science Inc.) and 22 individual compounds (FTIR, Gasmet Technologies) were measured in the breathing zone of the manicurist while two coats of polish were applied to artificial nails on a manikin in an exposure chamber and for 2 hr afterwards. Formaldehyde and toluene were measured in all polishes using the real-time FTIR, despite all claiming to be 3-free. Normalized geometric mean (GM) formaldehyde exposures from the FTIR ranged from 0.021 to 0.273 ppm/g, GM toluene exposures ranged from 0.068 to 0.534 ppm/g, and GM benzene exposures ranged from 0.076 to 0.752 ppm/g. Notably, formaldehyde, toluene, and benzene exposures did not significantly differ between different products. Neither DBP nor triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) was detected in any of the polishes. This study highlights that despite industry claims, n-free polishes may still contain chemicals associated with negative health effects and that more studies are necessary to understand the true chemical exposures of nail salon workers.
指甲油含有十几种化合物，包括可能导致不良生殖后果的化学物质，并且对很大比例的美甲店工作人员（育龄女性）构成风险。消费者需求促使产品转向更天然的产品，制造商试图去除有害成分（无这些成分的产品）。许多声称已去除甲苯、甲醛和邻苯二甲酸二丁酯（DBP）的产品被标记为“三无产品”；然而，研究发现，与没有此类声明的产品相比，这些产品通常含有更高浓度的甲苯和DBP。仅在美甲店使用的产品无需列出成分，这导致人们无法确定其确切的化学成分和潜在暴露风险。为了了解潜在的工人暴露情况并制定有效的控制措施，有必要更好地了解与指甲油产品相关的化学暴露情况。本研究使用实时和时间积分空气采样方法，评估了使用20种无这些成分的指甲油涂指甲时产生的化学暴露情况。在暴露室内，在人体模型的人造指甲上涂抹两层指甲油，并在之后2小时内，在美甲师的呼吸区域测量总挥发性有机化合物（TVOCs，PID，ION Science Inc.）和22种单独化合物（FTIR，Gasmet Technologies）。尽管所有指甲油都声称是三无产品，但使用实时傅里叶变换红外光谱仪（FTIR）对所有指甲油中的甲醛和甲苯进行了测量。FTIR测得的归一化几何平均（GM）甲醛暴露量范围为0.021至0.273ppm/g，GM甲苯暴露量范围为0.068至0.534ppm/g，GM苯暴露量范围为0.076至0.752ppm/g。值得注意的是，不同产品之间的甲醛、甲苯和苯暴露量没有显著差异。在任何指甲油中均未检测到DBP和磷酸三苯酯（TPhP）。本研究强调，尽管行业宣称如此，但无这些成分的指甲油可能仍含有对健康有负面影响的化学物质，并且需要更多研究来了解美甲店工作人员的真实化学暴露情况。
