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Lê AB, Huỳnh TB. The need for a multi-level approach to occupational safety and health among Asian and Asian American beauty service workers. JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE 2023; 20:495-505. [PMID: 37540163 DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2023.2245447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Asian and Asian Americans (A/AA) are a group overlooked in general health outcomes but especially occupational safety and health outcomes. In the United States, the beauty service microbusiness industry (e.g., nail salons) predominantly employs immigrant Asian women who regularly encounter a plethora of occupational hazards (e.g., harmful chemical exposures -toluene, formaldehyde, bloodborne pathogens, fungi. However, due to the precariousness of beauty service jobs, cultural and linguistic barriers, and social determinants of health, A/AA beauty service workers face complex occupational safety and health challenges that require interdisciplinary collaboration and cultural competency to address. This commentary will discuss a multi-level approach including specific outreach partners that will offer the required diverse skillsets necessary for improving the occupational safety and health for this worker population in this microbusiness industry. Implications and suggestions for interventions and policy changes are also recommended utilizing the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities' Research Framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora B Lê
- Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Trân B Huỳnh
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Huỳnh TB, Nguyễn DT, Vũ N, Robinson L, Trần E, Nguyễn N, Carroll-Scott A, Burstyn I. A participatory approach to designing and implementing an occupational health intervention for the nail salon community in the Greater Philadelphia region. Ann Work Expo Health 2023; 67:938-951. [PMID: 37584489 PMCID: PMC10848307 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxad044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nail salon industry in the US comprises mostly immigrant-owned, small mom-and-pop salons that employ primarily first-generation immigrant workers from Asia. Because of the cultural and language barriers, both owners and workers may not avail themselves of the occupational safety resources. We formed an academic-community partnership to co-design a feasibility study and multi-level occupational health intervention for Vietnamese-speaking salon owners, workers, and community-based organization. METHODS The intervention for each salon included (i) 2-h in-person training covering chemical safety, infection control, musculoskeletal prevention, and workers' rights for both the owners and their employees, (ii) a tailored recommendation report for the owner, and (iii) check-ins with the owner during the 3-month follow-up. Community partner was trained to deliver the in-language training with technical assistance from the research team. Baseline and post-intervention individual data about health symptoms and behaviors, as well as personal chemical exposures were collected and analyzed. RESULTS A total of 44 participants from 12 consented salons enrolled in the study. One salon dropped out at follow-up due to change of ownership. Analysis of the differences between post-and pre-intervention showed a tendency toward reduction in some self-reported symptoms in the respiratory system, skin, and eyes, neurotoxicity score, as well as chemical exposures. We could not rule out seasonality as an explanation for these trends. Increase in self-efficacy in some areas was observed post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated a successful academic-community partnership to engage community members in the intervention study. While the intervention effects from this feasibility study should be interpreted with caution, our preliminary results indicated that our community-based intervention is a promising approach to reduce work-related exposures among Asian American nail salon workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trân B Huỳnh
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Dương T Nguyễn
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Nga Vũ
- Vietlead, Philadelphia, PA 19148, United States
| | - Lucy Robinson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Emily Trần
- Vietlead, Philadelphia, PA 19148, United States
| | | | - Amy Carroll-Scott
- Department of Community Health and Prevention, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Igor Burstyn
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
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Han I, Seo JY, Barr DB, Panuwet P, Yakimavets V, D’Souza PE, An-Han H, Afshar M, Chao YY. Evaluating Indoor Air Phthalates and Volatile Organic Compounds in Nail Salons in the Greater New York City Area: A Pilot Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:12411. [PMID: 36231706 PMCID: PMC9566193 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The Greater New York City area ranks highest in the United States in the number of nail salon technicians, primarily Asian immigrant women. Nail salon technicians are exposed to toxic phthalates and volatile organic compounds daily in nail salons. The purpose of this pilot study was to measure a mixture of phthalates and volatile organic compounds in nail salons in the Greater New York City area, and to characterize work-related determinants of indoor air quality in these nail salons. Working with four Asian nail salon organizations in the Greater New York City area, we measured indoor air phthalates and volatile organic compounds at 20 nail salons from February to May 2021 using silicone wristbands and passive samplers, respectively. Nail salon characteristics were also examined. We measured six phthalates and 31 volatile organic compounds. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and Diethyl phthalate had the highest concentrations among the six phthalates measured. Concentrations of toluene, d-limonene, methyl methacrylate, and ethyl methacrylate were higher than that of the rest. Manicure/pedicure tables, the number of customers per day, and application of artificial nail (acrylic) services were positively associated with the levels of phthalates and volatile organic compounds. Given the large number of people employed in the nail industry and the even larger number of customers visiting such establishments, exposures to these toxic chemicals are likely to be widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inkyu Han
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Jin Young Seo
- Hunter College School of Nursing, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Parinya Panuwet
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Volha Yakimavets
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Priya Esilda D’Souza
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Heyreoun An-Han
- Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Masoud Afshar
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ying-Yu Chao
- School of Nursing, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
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OUP accepted manuscript. Ann Work Expo Health 2022; 66:827-837. [DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Richtwerte für Methylmethacrylat in der Innenraumluft. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2021; 64:126-135. [PMID: 33373021 DOI: 10.1007/s00103-020-03251-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Ceballos DM, Craig J, Fu X, Jia C, Chambers D, Chu MT, Fernandez AT, Fruh V, Petropoulos ZE, Allen JG, Vallarino J, Thornburg L, Webster TF. Biological and environmental exposure monitoring of volatile organic compounds among nail technicians in the Greater Boston area. INDOOR AIR 2019; 29:539-550. [PMID: 31112343 PMCID: PMC6565444 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Nail technicians are exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from nail products, but no studies have previously measured VOC biomarkers for these workers. This study of 10 nail technicians aimed to identify VOCs in nail salons and explore relationships between air concentrations and biomarkers. Personal and area air samples were collected using thermal desorption tubes during a work shift and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for 71 VOCs. Whole blood samples were collected pre-shift and post-shift, and analyzed using GC/MS for 43 VOCs. Ventilation rates were determined using continuous CO2 measurements. Predominant air VOC levels were ethyl methacrylate (median 240 µg/m3 ), methyl methacrylate (median 205 µg/m3 ), toluene (median 100 µg/m3 ), and ethyl acetate (median 639 µg/m3 ). Blood levels were significantly higher post-shift than pre-shift for toluene (median pre-shift 0.158 µg/L and post-shift 0.360 µg/L) and ethyl acetate (median pre-shift <0.158 µg/L and post-shift 0.510 µg/L); methacrylates were not measured in blood because of their instability. Based on VOCs measured in these seven nail salons, we estimated that emissions from Greater Boston area nail salons may contribute to ambient VOCs. Ventilation rates did not always meet the ASHRAE guideline for nail salons. There is a need for changes in nail product formulation and better ventilation to reduce VOC occupational exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M. Ceballos
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 4 Floor West, Boston, MA 02118
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, 4th Floor West, Boston, MA 02215
- Correspondence to: Tel: +1 (617) 358 1911,
| | - Jessica Craig
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 4 Floor West, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Xianqiang Fu
- School of Public Health, University of Memphis, 3825 DeSoto Avenue, Robison Hall 337, Memphis, TN 38152
| | - Chunrong Jia
- School of Public Health, University of Memphis, 3825 DeSoto Avenue, Robison Hall 337, Memphis, TN 38152
| | - David Chambers
- Volatile Organic Compounds Laboratory, Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Building 103, Room 3105, Atlanta, GA 30341
| | - MyDzung T. Chu
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, 4th Floor West, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Alai T. Fernandez
- Volatile Organic Compounds Laboratory, Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Building 103, Room 3105, Atlanta, GA 30341
| | - Victoria Fruh
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 4 Floor West, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Zoe E. Petropoulos
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 4 Floor West, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Joseph G. Allen
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, 4th Floor West, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Jose Vallarino
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, 4th Floor West, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Lydia Thornburg
- Volatile Organic Compounds Laboratory, Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Building 103, Room 3105, Atlanta, GA 30341
| | - Thomas F. Webster
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 4 Floor West, Boston, MA 02118
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