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Workers at nail salons may be at higher risk of harmful exposure to toxins

Measured levels of solvents toluene, ethyl acetate and isopropyl acetate were higher than recommended guidelines in nail salons; 1/3 of workers reported that they experienced health symptoms
Photo: Manicure

From the American Journal of Public Health media release:

A new study from the American Journal of Public Health reports that workers at nail salons may be at higher risk of exposure to chemical toxins that may be harmful to their health.

Researchers set out to measure personal and area concentrations of solvents among Vietnamese women working in various California nail salons through a community-based participatory research study. Researchers collected data from 80 Vietnamese female nail salon workers from 20 different nail salons.

They measured work-shift concentrations of toluene, ethyl acetate and isopropyl acetate and found that measured levels of these solvents were higher than recommended guidelines to prevent the frequently reported health symptoms.

One-third of workers reported that they experienced certain health symptoms such as irritations, headaches, nausea and breathing problems after entering the workforce. Irritations of the nose, throat, lungs, skin and eyes were the most common symptoms, reported by 26.5 percent of workers.

"Our findings underscored the need for more attention to preventive public health strategies for his workforce. Recommendations to promote worker health and safety include policy changes to update occupational exposure limits that take into account various chronic health conditions, better regulatory oversight of chemicals in cosmetic products, and more research focused on the health of understudied and vulnerable worker populations," said the study's authors.

[From: "Characterizing Workplace Exposures in Vietnamese Women Working in California Nail Salons." ].

Next post: Dopamine impacts your willingness to work 2012-05-12 10:04:13

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