Unconventional and user-friendly sampling techniques of semi-volatile organic compounds present in an indoor environment: An approach to human exposure assessment

The commonly applied solutions used to assess the potential risk of human exposure to semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are based on the investigation of biological samples collected in an invasive or non-invasive manner. For SVOCs, which are typically introduced to humans through the respiratory system, dermal adsorption, or digestive system, sampling solutions generally used in the indoor environments are classified as active and passive. From the user's perspective, the most convenient method to assess the potential risk is the use of an analytical tool that combines the benefits of passive and non-invasive sampling techniquesduse of an unconventional personal sampler such as a silicone wristband, brooch, dog tag, cotton gauze, or viscose wiper. Despite the advantages of this method, the aforementioned techniques require further analytical research owing to the differences in the results of human exposure assessment owing to the lack of standards and unified sampling protocols. (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Currently, commonly applied solutions for assessing the potential risk of human exposure to semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) involve investigating biological samples collected in an invasive or non-invasive manner. Sampling solutions in indoor environments, which typically introduce SVOCs to humans through the respiratory system, dermal adsorption, or digestive system, are categorized as active and passive. From a user's perspective, the most convenient method for assessing potential risk is the use of an analytical tool that combines the benefits of passive and non-invasive sampling techniques, such as unconventional personal samplers like silicone wristbands, brooches, dog tags, cotton gauzes, or viscose wipers. However, further analytical research is required for these techniques due to the lack of standards and unified sampling protocols.