« Previous AbstractIn Situ Fabrication of Highly Dispersed Co-Fe-Doped-delta-MnO(2) Catalyst by a Facile Redox-Driving MOFs-Derived Method for Low-Temperature Oxidation of Toluene    Next AbstractControl of postharvest Botrytis fruit rot of strawberry by volatile organic compounds of Candida intermedia »

Environ Pollut

Title:		Exploring the release of hazardous volatile organic compounds from face masks and their potential health risk
Author(s):		Huang Q; Pan L; Luo G; Jiang R; Ouyang G; Ye Y; Cai J; Guo P;
Address:		"Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China. Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511443, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Measurement and Emergency Test Technology, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Ambient Mass Spectrometry, Institute of Analysis, Guangdong Academy of Sciences (China National Analytical Center, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 510070, China. Electronic address: jiangrf5@jnu.edu.cn. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Measurement and Emergency Test Technology, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Ambient Mass Spectrometry, Institute of Analysis, Guangdong Academy of Sciences (China National Analytical Center, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 510070, China; KLGHEI of Environment and Energy Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China. Guangzhou Quality Supervision and Testing Institute, Guangzhou, 511400, China. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Measurement and Emergency Test Technology, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Ambient Mass Spectrometry, Institute of Analysis, Guangdong Academy of Sciences (China National Analytical Center, Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 510070, China"
Journal Title:		Environ Pollut
Year:		2023
Volume:		20230614
Issue:
Page Number:		122042 -
DOI:		10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122042
ISSN/ISBN:		1873-6424 (Electronic) 0269-7491 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Hazardous chemicals released from the petroleum-derived face mask can be inhaled by wearers and cause adverse health effects. Here, we first used headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with GC-MS to comprehensively analyze the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from 26 types of face masks. The results showed that total concentrations and peak numbers ranged from 3.28 to 197 mug/mask and 81 to 162, respectively, for different types of mask. Also, light exposure could affect the chemical composition of VOCs, particularly increasing the concentrations of aldehydes, ketones, organic acids and esters. Of these detected VOCs, 142 substances were matched to a reported database of chemicals associated with plastic packaging; 30 substances were identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as potential carcinogenic to humans; 6 substances were classified in the European Union as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, or very persistent, very bioaccumulative substance. Reactive carbonyls were ubiquitous in masks, especially after exposure to light. The potential risk of VOCs released from the face masks were then accessed by assuming the extreme scenario that all the VOC residues were released into the breathing air within 3 h. The result showed that the average total concentration of VOCs (17 mug/m(3)) was below the criterion for hygienic air, but seven substances, 2-ethylhexan-1-ol, benzene, isophorone, heptanal, naphthalene, benzyl chloride, and 1,2-dichloropropane exceeded the non-cancer health guidelines for lifetime exposure. This finding suggested that specific regulations should be adopted to improve the chemical safety of face masks"
Keywords:		Humans *Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis Masks Benzene Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods Solid Phase Microextraction/methods Face mask Hs-spme Hazardous VOCs Potential health risk UV irradiation;
Notes:		"MedlineHuang, Qi Pan, Li Luo, Gan Jiang, Ruifen Ouyang, Gangfeng Ye, Yuanjian Cai, Jin'an Guo, Pengran eng England 2023/06/17 Environ Pollut. 2023 Sep 15; 333:122042. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122042. Epub 2023 Jun 14"