Nail Salon Workers Exposed to Unsafe Amounts of Toxic Chemicals

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Study Finds Presence of Banned Compound and Harmful Levels of Toluene

For Dr. Thu Quach at the Cancer Prevention Institute of California, it’s personal. Her mother, a Vietnamese immigrant, was a cosmetologist who died of cancer. Now, having devoted a large part of her research to evaluating the use of chemicals in nail salons, Dr. Quach has found that salon workers – who are largely Vietnamese immigrants – are being exposed to unsafe levels of toxic chemicals.

The results of the study of California nail salons conducted by Dr. Quach and her research team, which included staff at Asian Health Services, were published online on May 5, 2011 in the American Journal of Public Health. They showed the presence of methyl methacrylate, a compound banned by the FDA, and that the average level of toluene was double the amount recommended by the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) for indoor air.

The scientists also found that levels of total volatile organic compounds, a measure of multiple airborne chemicals, greatly exceeded Cal/EPA’s recommended levels.

“Many workers are experiencing health symptoms related to the chemicals we measured in this study,” said Dr. Quach. “Our concern is that harmful chemicals at unsafe levels in the workplace may also have impacts on the long-term health of nail salon workers, especially if they are exposed over a long period of time. We plan to continue our studies of these chemicals and their immediate as well as long-term effects on those in this workforce."

The researchers recommend the following practices to help nail salon workers reduce their exposures while they are working:

Open doors and windows, when possible, to help increase ventilation in the shop and reduce air levels of chemicals in the salon.
If a salon is located in an enclosed building, talk to the landlord or building owners about ways to help improve ventilation.
Store chemicals in bottles with lids. Close the bottles when they are not in use.
Put any trash soaked with chemicals (like cotton balls) in a sealed bag before putting it in the trash. Use a metal trash bin with a cover and keep it covered at all times.
Always follow instructions when using products that contain chemical compounds. Wear gloves and goggles when recommended.
Always wash hands and move out of the area where chemicals are before eating or drinking.
If possible, take breaks and eat lunch outside of the salon.

Read the full press release on these findings

Watch Dr. Quach on NBC Bay Area News
Listen to Dr. Quach speak about these findings on KPFA
Read a WebMD article about the findings

Learn more about Dr. Quach
Access photo of Dr. Quach
Learn about other studies of the environment at CPIC (partial list)

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