Percutaneous Penetration of Liquid Crystal Monomers (LCMs) by In Vitro Three-Dimensional Human Skin Equivalents: Possible Mechanisms and Implications for Human Dermal Exposure Risks

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are indispensable materials in liquid crystal displays, which have been recognized as emerging persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic organic pollutants. Occupational and nonoccupational exposure risk assessment suggested that dermal exposure is the primary exposure ro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2023-03, Vol.57 (11), p.4454-4463
Main Authors: Zhang, Shaohan, Cheng, Zhipeng, Yang, Ming, Guo, Zijin, Zhao, Leicheng, Baqar, Mujtaba, Lu, Yuan, Wang, Lei, Sun, Hongwen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absorption
Bioaccumulation
Bioavailability
Contaminants in Aquatic and Terrestrial Environments
Dermal absorption
Efflux
Electronic waste
Equivalence
Exposure
Health risks
Humans
Liquid crystal displays
Liquid Crystals
Molecular docking
Molecular Docking Simulation
Molecular weight
Monomers
Occupational exposure
Occupational Exposure - analysis
Penetration
Risk assessment
Skin
Skin - chemistry
Skin - metabolism
Skin Absorption
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Summary:Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are indispensable materials in liquid crystal displays, which have been recognized as emerging persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic organic pollutants. Occupational and nonoccupational exposure risk assessment suggested that dermal exposure is the primary exposure route for LCMs. However, the bioavailability and possible mechanisms of dermal exposure to LCMs via skin absorption and penetration remain unclear. Herein, we used EpiKutis 3D-Human Skin Equivalents (3D-HSE) to quantitatively assess the percutaneous penetration of nine LCMs, which were detected in e-waste dismantling workers’ hand wipes with high detection frequencies. LCMs with higher log K ow and greater molecular weight (MW) were more difficult to penetrate through the skin. Molecular docking results showed that ABCG2 (an efflux transporter) may be responsible for percutaneous penetration of LCMs. These results suggest that passive diffusion and active efflux transport may be involved in the penetration of LCMs across the skin barrier. Furthermore, the occupational dermal exposure risks evaluated based on the dermal absorption factor suggested the underestimation of the continuous LCMs’ health risks via dermal previously.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/acs.est.2c07844