Measuring dust on skin with a small vacuuming sampler--a comparison with other sampling techniques

Airborne skin exposure to allergens and irritants may cause dermatitis. There are few methods for assessing skin exposure to airborne particles. We have modified and tested a vacuuming sampler for removing particles from the skin. The sampler was compared with two other skin and surface exposure sampling techniques. These were based on surrogate skin (a patch sampler-adhesive tape on an optical cover glass) and a tape stripping removal procedure. All three samplers measure the mass of dust on skin. Dust containing starch was deposited onto the skin in a whole-body exposure chamber. Samples were taken from forearms and shoulders and analysed using optical microscopy. With the different sampling techniques small differences in the results were obtained. Agreement between the vacuuming sampler and the tape stripping technique was good. The comparison between patch and tape stripping procedure indicated a slight overestimation for the patch. The three techniques are applicable for assessing skin exposure to particles and for dose-effect studies. The vacuuming method will be further developed and applied in workplace studies. The technique allows for dust sampling from large areas of skin.