Kersemaekers WM, Roeleveld N, Zielhuis GA. Reproductive disorders due to chemical exposure among hairdressers. Scand J Work Environ Health 1995;21:325-34.The evidence for reproductive disorders due to chemical exposure among hairdressers was evaluated. To this end, a literature study was conducted on Medline for the years 1985-1993. Reproductive disorders in humans were described for solvents such as ethanol and dichloromethane found mainly in hair sprays. Reproductive effects of several dye formulations, ethylene glycol ethers, nitrosamines, formaldehyde, hexachlorophene, and phthalic esters cannot be excluded, but few human data on low concentrations of these agents were available. Associatioris with menstrual disorders and spontaneous abortions were found in epidemiologic studies focused on hairdressers. Other studies showed inconsistent results, probably due to methodological shortcomings (misclassification of exposure, small sample sizes). It is concluded that there is little evidence for reproductive disorders among hairdressers to date. Limited availability of human data and unknown effects of chemical mixtures call for future research focused on human reproductive risks among hairdressers with emphasis on exposure assessment in the hairdressing salon.

Abstract-Personal exposure to solvents was studied among hairdressers in 28 salons in two regions during two seasons in The Netherlands. Ethanol was used as a marker for solvent exposure. Auxiliary data, such as salon and work characteristics, meteorological conditions and information on the presence of control measures, were collected during the measurements. The average exposure to ethanol was almost a factor of 200 below the occupational exposure limit, but differences in average ethanol concentrations up to a factor of 30 were present between salons. Exposure concentrations were significantly higher on Fridays than on other days of the week. Contrary to expectation, exposures were somewhat lower in the spring than in the summer and in an urban than a semi-r,ural area. An empirical statistical model based on exposure data collected during the first measurement period appeared not to be valid for the encountered circumstances in the second measurement period. An alternative classification scheme based on two easily obtainable salon and task characteristics was elaborated. This scheme will be applied in an ongoing epidemiological study on reproductive disorders among hairdressers and their offspring.