Epidemiology suggests that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is leading to an increased incidence of cancers among workers such as chimney sweeps. Absorption of these carcinogens through the skin is consider an important exposure route.

A simple strip of tape applied to the workers’ skin provides a sampling tool for high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection analysis of pyrene and benzo(a)pyrene to which their skin may have been exposed, according to Swedish scientists. Tests on volunteer chimney sweeps demonstrated efficacy as well as revealing that dermal exposure is a problem.

• Evaluation of a tape-stripping technique for measuring dermal exposure to pyrene and benzo(a)pyrene,
  Ronny Kammer, Håkan Tinnerberg, Kåre Eriksson,
  J. Environ. Monit. 2011.
  DOI: 10.1039/C1EM10245A