Exposure assessment to BTEX in the air of nail salons in Tehran city, Iran

The nail salon industry has grown considerably, but there are serious concerns about the health risks associated with working in this field. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the exposure of nail technicians to BTEX. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 49 salons, and NIOSH Method 1501 was used to measure the concentration of BTEX in the breathing zone of technicians. The EPA method was used to assess health risks. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software. The mean concentrations of toluene were (82.65 ± 198.84µg/m3)µg/m3, followed by benzene (10.58 ± 9.62µg/m3), p-xylenes (20.77 ± 37.79µg/m3), o-xylene (13.79 ± 25.70µg/m3), and ethylbenzene (29.35 ± 58.26µg/m3) , that lower than the permissible exposure limits suggested by NIOSH. Among the BTEX, toluene (82.65 ± 198.84µg/m3) has the most concentration in the nail salons. It was also discovered through multiple linear regression analysis that humidity had a significant effect on increasing the concentration of toluene (Beta = 0.50, P-value = 0.001) and ethylbenzene (Beta = 0.16, P = 0.049), while there was a considerable association between the number of services performed and benzene concentration (Beta = 0.34, P = 0.010). The average inhalation lifetime cancer risk for benzene (4.9 × 10 −5±4.5 × 10−5) was higher than the recommended value set by the US EPA. Although the concentrations of BTEX were lower than the maximum permissible limits, the results of the cancer risk assessment for benzene showed that working in nail salons with poor ventilation is hazardous. Therefore, exposure can be minimized by ensuring appropriate ventilation in the workplace and using safe products.