Abstract

Many kinds of liquid spray products are used in livelihood activities these days. Spray products can be distinguished by the target to be sprayed (like into the air or on human skin (body)). Because human can be exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted from spray products, some considerations on safety or hazard of spray products should be needed. In this study, emission characteristics of VOCs were investigated against 10 types of liquid spray products (6 skin spray and 4 air spray products). The concentrations of benzene and toluene were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) equipped with a thermal desorber (TD). Their average concentrations from 6 skin spray products exhibited 5.64±1.95 (mean±S.D) and 8.52±2.89 ppb(w), respectively. In contrast, those of 4 air spray samples had 7.30±1.31 and 7.19±1.78 ppb(w),respectively. If liquid contents in spray samples are completely vaporized in one cubic meter (1 m3) after spraying for 10 seconds, their mean concentrations of skin spray products are 31.7±8.80 (benzene) and 50.5±17.1 μg/Sm3 (toluene). In contrast, those of air spray products are 24.0±4.30 (benzene) and 23.6±5.83 μg/Sm3(toluene). The estimated concentration levels of benzene from two types of products (31.7 and 24.0 μg/Sm3) exceeded the Korean atmospheric environmental guideline (5 μg/Sm3). The results of this study thus suggest that some measures should be made to reduce or suppress the contents of VOC in spray products.