Nail Salons Exposed

Every day we are more aware of the chemicals and harmful substances to which we are exposed both in our homes and in our workplaces or places of entertainment, and try to avoid the risks. However, we do not always consider all means of exposure, one of them are the popular nail salons.

It is very common to know that we are passing close to a nail salon by the smell they emanate, the strong and characteristic smell that indicates the presence of volatile organic compounds and other harmful chemicals. These are not a huge problem for customers who spend a small amount of time there, but the situation can be different for workers who are exposed for long hours.

According to a safety guide related to nail salons, released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approximately 155,000 people work in the United States as manicurists and pedicurists. These are trained professionals who provide nail treatments including filing, polishing, applying artificial nails, and giving manicures and pedicures.

The chemical odors that identify a nail salon are mostly from volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These areorganic compounds (containing carbon) that evaporate easily into the atmosphere at room temperature.VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects.

Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products, paints, varnishes, disinfectants, nail salon supplies, etc. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored.

Chemical Threat

Nail salon technicians face chronic exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can lead to adverse health outcomes including cancer. [2] They are also exposed to higher levels of VOCs than they would typically be expected to encounter in most homes, occupations or urban environments. As a result, these workers frequently experience work-related health symptoms. According to the chemical hazard information provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) [3] on their website, some of the worst chemicals used in nail salons and their health effects are:

• Acetone (nail polish remover): headaches; dizziness; and irritated eyes, skin, and throat.
• Acetonitrile (fingernail glue remover): irritated nose and throat; breathing problems; nausea; vomiting; weakness and exhaustion.
• Butyl acetate (nail polish, nail polish remover): headaches and irritated eyes, skin, nose, mouth and throat
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), (nail polish): nausea and irritated eyes, skin, nose, mouth and throat. Long-term exposures to high concentrations may cause other serious effects.
• Ethyl acetate (nail polish, nail polish remover, fingernail glue): irritated eyes, stomach, skin, nose, mouth, and throat; high levels can cause fainting.
• Ethyl methacrylate (EMA), (artificial nail liquid): asthma; irritated eyes, skin, nose, and mouth; difficulty concentrating. Exposures while pregnant may affect your child.
• Formaldehyde (nail polish, nail hardener): difficulty breathing, including coughing, asthma-like attacks, and wheezing; allergic reactions; irritated eyes, skin and throat. Formaldehyde can cause cancer.
• Isopropyl acetate (nail polish, nail polish remover): sleepiness and irritated eyes, nose and throat.
• Methacrylic acid (nail primer): skin burns and irritated eyes, skin, nose, mouth and throat. At higher concentrations, this chemical can cause difficulty breathing.
• Methyl methacrylate (MMA), (artificial nail products, though banned for use in many states): asthma; irritated eyes, skin, nose and mouth; difficulty concentrating; loss of smell.
• Quaternary ammonium compounds (disinfectants): irritated skin and nose and may cause asthma.
• Toluene (nail polish, fingernail glue): dry or cracked skin; headaches, dizziness and numbness; irritated eyes, nose, throat and lungs; damage to liver and kidneys; and harm to unborn children during pregnancy.

Avoiding these substances altogether is a big challenge. Some nail products are labeled as “3-free”which mean they were free of toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate. Primers labeled as “acid free” are also typically claiming to be free of chemicals like methacrylate acid.

The above list refers to the main chemicals to which both workers and customers are exposed in the salons. However, according to a study conducted by EWG[4] to the drainage water of a salon in the San Francisco Bay Area, quantities of phthalates were detected that can come into contact with you through nail polishes, lotions and other cosmetics, and sometimes cannot be detected on product labels because they appear only as “fragrance”.

What can we do?

An important strategy for minimizing the indoor chemical exposure in nail salons and other facilities is source reduction, i.e., reducing the use of chemicals in the first place. Policies aimed at achieving reduction at source could, for example, restrict the use of certain chemicals in nail products or create incentives for facilities to use products without such chemicals. Ventilation, i.e. the supply and extraction of air from a space, is another key approach to reducing exposure to indoor pollutants.

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets standards for exposure to certain chemicals used in nail salons and other private workplaces. However, the agency “recognizes that many of its permissible exposure limits (PELs) are obsolete and inadequate to ensure the protection of workers’ health. Therefore, exposure to chemicals in OSHA-compliant nail salons can pose health risks. OSHA also requires product manufacturers to provide salon owners with safety data sheets (SDS) on the health and safety risks of hazardous chemicals used in the salon. Employers must make SDS available to their workers and provide training on chemical hazards to all workers using products containing the chemical. The Environmental Protection Agency has also published educational materials for nail salon employees.

We could only find these guides in English, which can be a barrier because many of the workers in these types of establishments belong to immigrant communities with limited English proficiency.

A report published by the New York State Department of Health [5] in 2016 coincides with OSHA’s publication and recommends the application of certain measures to minimize health hazards from exposure to the chemicals mentioned above.

These measures are focused on improving air quality in these establishments, substituting the chemicals used for other non-toxic options, exposing through the diffusion of the SDS of the products used the chemicals that can be harmful, diminishing the direct exposure of workers with the use of adequate personal protective equipment, and petitioning the safety agencies for the establishment of stricter standards to regulate and control these nail salons.

• Improved Air Quality is achieved by letting in some fresh air, whenever possible through the installation of air exhaust systems. If the salon does not have an exhaust system, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system should always be kept on during working hours.
• Chemical Substitution: These measures are designed to eliminate the most common harmful chemicals such as toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate. Several jurisdictions in New York State have already taken some form of action to eliminate or minimize the use of products containing these three chemicals. As a result, alternatives are available on the market.
• Voluntary certification: Establishing and administering a certification program modeled after California’s Healthy Nail Salons program, while worth considering, is unlikely to bring about significant changes in the industry. These programs carry an ongoing workload and would require significant additional resources from agencies to establish recognition criteria, review applications, and implement approval decisions.
• Use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment such as nitrile gloves and respirator masks approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
• Diffusion of SDS of products used for services provided in salons and establishment and implementation of recommended practices in manuals published by regulatory bodies.

With the application of these measures and taking into consideration the suggestions and needs of nail salon workers, considerable improvements in the working conditions and health of this sector will gradually be achieved.

References:

[1] Environmental Protection Agency. March 2007. Protecting the Health of Nail Salon Workers. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/nailsalonguide.pdf

[2] Aaron Lamplugh,Megan Harries,Feng Xiang,Janice Trinh,ArsinehHecobian,Lupita D. Montoya. Occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds and health risks in Colorado nail salons. June 2019. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749118346487?via%3Dihub

[3] Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Health Hazards in Nail Salons. Available at: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/nailsalons/chemicalhazards.html

[4] Environmental Working Group. July 12, 2007. Down the Drain: In Nail Salons. Available at: https://www.ewg.org/research/down-drain/%C2%BB-nail-salons

[5] New York State Department of Health. Review of Chemicals Used in Nail Salons. Available at: https://www.health.ny.gov/press/reports/docs/nail_salon_chemical_report.pdf