Mathematical model for the calculation of potential health risk by heavy metals present in and on textiles

Abstract

Aim of toxicological testing of certain substances in laboratory animals is to protect the public from harmful effects. Laboratory animals are an important source of data needed to make reasonable decisions about potential health risks to humans. Due to intentions of guaranteeing animal well-being and to reduce costs and personal needs, alternative methods, such as in vitro and computer technologies play nowadays an increasingly important role. When present in/on textile materials, heavy metals represent a potential danger to human health. Accumulation of heavy metals in body tissues and their binding to enzymes disrupt the functioning of cells leading to tumors or cancers. Today different standards exist which prescribe the analysis of textile materials and indicate maximum permissible values for heavy metals in/on textiles, such as Markenzeichen schadstoffgeprufter Textilien (MST) or Oko Tex Standard. To estimate the potential risk by those fabrics, we developed a mathematical model based on an adaption of the methods lined out in EPA— Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund Remediation. A variation of this model was applied under real conditions for an expert opinion about leachable silver in textile materials in contact with human skin. The model makes use of partition coefficients of heavy metal ions between textile and sweat as well as diffusion coefficients in regard to human skin permeation. The satisfactory results of these preliminary calculations justify further investigation. Main objective is to have data for metals covered by the above-mentioned standards, e.g. Sb, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Pb, Hg, Ni and Zn.