Characterizing workplace exposures in Vietnamese women working in California nail salons.

OBJECTIVES: We engaged Vietnamese nail salon workers in a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study to measure personal and area concentrations of solvents in their workplace. METHODS: We measured average work-shift concentrations of toluene, ethyl acetate, and isopropyl acetate among 80 workers from 20 salons using personal air monitors. We also collected area samples from 3 salons using summa canisters. RESULTS: For personal measurements, the arithmetic mean was 0.53 parts per million (range = 0.02-5.50) for ethyl acetate, 0.04 parts per million (range = 0.02-0.15) for isopropyl acetate, and 0.15 parts per million (range = 0.02-1.0) for toluene. Area measurements were lower in comparison, but we detected notable levels of methyl methacrylate, a compound long banned from nail products. Predictors of solvent levels included different forms of ventilation and whether the salon was located in an enclosed building. CONCLUSIONS: Using a CBPR approach that engaged community members in the research process contributed to the successful recruitment of salon workers. Measured levels of toluene, methyl methacrylate, and total volatile organic compounds were higher than recommended guidelines to prevent health symptoms such as headaches, irritations, and breathing problems, which were frequently reported in this workforce.

Cancer incidence in female cosmetologists and manicurists in California, 1988-2005.

Health concerns have been pronounced for cosmetologists and manicurists, who are exposed daily to cosmetic products containing known or suspected human carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. In this retrospective cohort study, the authors used probabilistic record linkage between California's statewide cosmetology licensee and cancer surveillance files to identify newly diagnosed invasive cancers among female workforce members during 1988-2005. Rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals for cancer among workforce members compared with the general female population in California were estimated via Poisson regression. For comparison, site-specific proportional incidence ratios were computed. The authors identified 9,044 cancer cases in a cohort of 325,228 licensees. Rate ratios for all sites combined suggested lower incidence among both cosmetologists (rate ratio = 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82, 0.86) and manicurists (rate ratio = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.90). Proportional incidence ratios were modestly elevated for thyroid cancer among all licensees (proportional incidence ratio = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.23) and for lung cancer among manicurists (proportional incidence ratio = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.36). Although there did not appear to be a cancer excess, these findings may be artifactually influenced by limitations in demographic information available from the licensee files. Additionally, the relatively young ages of cohort members and demographic shifts in the industry composition in recent years suggest a need for further follow-up.

A preliminary survey of Vietnamese nail salon workers in Alameda County, California.

In recent decades, the nail salon industry has been one of the fastest growing in the U.S. California has over 300,000 workers licensed to perform nail care services. Though little is known about their health, these workers routinely handle cosmetic products containing carcinogens and endocrine disruptors that may increase a woman's breast cancer risk. Additionally, an estimated 59-80% of California nail salons are run by Vietnamese women who face socio-cultural barriers that may compromise their workplace safety and health care access. In a pilot project designed to characterize Vietnamese nail salon workers in Alameda County, California in order to inform future health interventions and reduce occupational exposures, we conducted face-to-face surveys with a convenience sample of 201 Vietnamese nail salon workers at 74 salons. Of the workers surveyed, a majority reported that they are concerned about their health from exposure to workplace chemicals. Additionally, a sizeable proportion reported having experienced some health problem after they began working in the industry, particularly acute health problems that may be associated with solvent exposure (e.g. skin and eye irritation, breathing difficulties and headaches). Our findings highlight a critical need for further investigation into the breast cancer risk of nail salon workers, underscored by the workers' routine use of carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, their prevalent health concerns about such chemicals, and their high level of acute health problems. Moreover, the predominance of Vietnamese immigrant women in this workforce makes it an important target group for further research and health interventions.