Aerosol and Volatile Organic Compound Emissions During PolyGel® Application and Removal

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gould JE
• Description:
  Nail technicians utilize a wide variety of ever-changing nail products that contain or release hazardous chemicals. A new type of nail product created by Gelish is a nail enhancement technology called PolyGel®. This product was made to combine the best aspects of two popular nail services: gel polishing, and acrylic nail extensions. The PolyGel®'s major difference compared to either of these products is the removal of the novel material. While both gel polishing and acrylic nail extensions are removed through soaking in acetone, PolyGel® must be filed off which is typically done using an electric nail file for efficiency. This study aimed to look at the relationship between nail file speed and curing time during the application and removal of PolyGel® to volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration, particle size and concentration. Samples (n=54) were taken from a chamber every minute using a Flow-2 air quality sensor, an Optical Particle Sizer, and a NanoScan to determine these VOCs and particles, respectively. The PolyGel® was applied with variable curing times and then removed with variable file speeds within an air-tight chamber. The data were analyzed through statistical software using multiple linear regressions and two-way ANOVAs to determine the significance of file speed and cure time on VOC and particle emissions. VOCs were detected during both application and removal. File speed was correlated with a change in both geometric mean diameter and particle concentration. All average geometric mean diameter measurements were under 2 µm: therefore, these particles are predominately respirable particles. Overall, these results suggest that nail technicians should use the slowest file speed possible when removing PolyGel® with an electric nail file, and a suggested cure time of 60 seconds should be used during the application of PolyGel®. These suggestions, in tandem with ventilation measures such as general ventilation and nail dust vacuums, will help mitigate the risk of exposure and possible adverse health effects for nail technicians performing the application and removal of PolyGel®. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Dust Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Ventilation Volatile Organic Compounds
• Keywords:
  Dust Particles Nail Technicians Particle Size Analysis VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds
• Publisher:
  University of Cincinnati
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Thesis
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-65
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068796
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: University of Cincinnati, 2022 Mar; :1-65
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Aerosol and volatile organic compound emissions during PolyGel® application and removal
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:95453d795c476420df45c57857b58b66c469f8390dacef9c7225c16e4f6b57a1c72414ad694768fcbd3bcb7c3ead3314920ea9e95cb1b9100d5ef5cc761537cf
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207374/cdc_207374_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.19 MB ]