Aerosol number concentration measurement : safety aspects of a hairspray

Abstract

This work describes the preliminary assessment measurements which are necessary to evaluate a hazard potential of a hair care product before introducing it to the market, as well as the guidelines and requirements for a proper safety assessor to consider. The preparation stage consisted of a literature review on existing standards of aerosol products and guidelines on indoor air characteristics. A measurement procedure was developed at a preparation stage, and number concentrations and mass concentrations of the hairsprays were documented from the Trotec PC220 particle counter and ELPI. The obtained values were compared to the recommended values as well as to the reference of similar researches.

As a result, the products of interest fulfilled the main health assessment requirements, especially for the concentration of inhalable particles with a size of less than 10 µm, which are reported to be the most harmful for a human. The peak values from the number concentration measurement were 10^5 particles per litre, whereas the total mass concentration peak was observed at around 500 µg per cubic metre of air. The order of magnitude of these values was correlating with the values obtained in similar measurements. It was concluded, that the hairsprays pass the necessary tests.