Assessing human exposure to organic pollutants in different consumer materials: the case studies of face masks and menstrual products
Studies of human exposure to organic pollutants are usually based on the exposure by inhalation (measuring levels of pollutants in air) and by ingestion (measuring levels of pollutants in food). However, there are also other routes of exposure that are not usually considered. In this presentation we will discuss two specific cases: (1) inhalation exposure due to the use of face masks, and (2) dermal contact exposure due to the use of menstrual products. We will present the occurrence of three families of plasticizers in the different materials. Subsequently, we will explain the developed methodologies to correctly assess the degree of human exposure by: (1) the use of thermal manikins that simulate human respiration, and (2) the use of poly(dimethyl)siloxane (PDMS) sheets that simulate the human skin behaviour.