Vehicle Washing Research Articles

In vivo percutaneous absorption of hydrocortisone: multiple-application dosing in man.

Percutaneous absorption of hydrocortisone was measured in six healthy adult men from whom informed consent had been obtained. The study compared a single topical dose to multiple-topical dose treatments (one vs three applications) on the same day. 14C-Labeled hydrocortisone in acetone was applied to 2.5 cm2 of ventral forearm skin and protected with a nonocclusive polypropylene chamber. The amount of 14C measured in urine collected over 7 days was used to determine hydrocortisone absorption. The treatments, performed 2 to 3 weeks apart, each utilized adjacent sites on the same individuals. A single dose of 13.33 micrograms/cm2 delivered 0.056 microgram/cm2 of hydrocortisone through the skin. When the single dose was tripled to 40 micrograms/cm2, the amount delivered through the skin increased by nearly three times, from 0.056 to 0.140 micrograms/cm2; the expected delivery was 3 x 0.056 micrograms/cm2 = 0.168 microgram/cm2. Three serial doses of 13.33 micrograms/cm2 (total, 40 micrograms/cm2) were also expected to deliver 0.168 micrograms/cm2 with or without soap and water washing between doses, but the observed amount of hydrocortisone delivered through the skin significantly exceeded our expectations. This indicates that multiple-dosing treatments resulted in a significant increase in bioavailability. It is postulated that increased vehicle application and washing dissolved and mobilized previously dosed hydrocortisone and increased bioavailability.

Electron Dense Artefactual Deposits in Tissue Sections: The Role of Ethanol, Uranyl Acetate and Phosphate Buffer

The occurrence of electron dense deposits in sections of aldehyde-fixed tissue prepared for transmission electron microscopy has been attributed to a number of conflicting factors. In an attempt to clarify this, the precipitating effect of different combinations of phosphate or cacodylate buffer, glutaraldehyde, ethanol and uranyl acetate was investigated in test tubes. As a preliminary investigation the combination of phosphate buffer, ethanol and uranyl acetate was investigated in heart and kidney tissue fixed in glutaraldehyde with or without postosmication. The essential factors in the formation of electron dense deposits in these tissues appear to be phosphate buffer, ethanol, and uranyl acetate, although glutaraldehyde may contribute in some way. The nature and intensity of the deposits seem to vary with the sequence of combination of these factors. Osmium did not appear to be an essential factor in the reaction since deposits were observed in both osmicated and unosmicated tissue. To avoid such deposits, a postosmication distilled water wash for 20 to 30 min followed by en bloc staining with aqueous uranyl acetate is advised if phosphate buffer is used as a fixative vehicle or buffer wash after the primary fixative.

Ventilation and organic solvent exposure during car washing.

Spray finishing operations often involve cleaning with solvents. White spirit is widely used as a solvent in car washes in Finland. The purpose of the present study was to determine the levels of solvent exposure of car washers and to evaluate the effectiveness of ventilation systems in car washing facilities. The study covered 11 car washes. Airborne solvent concentrations were measured both in workers' breathing zones and at stationary sampling sites. The solvent concentration in the breathing zones ranged from 5 to 465 mg/m3 during the washing of automobiles and from 45 to 685 mg/m3 during the washing of heavy vehicles. Brief concentration peaks up to 4,500 mg/m3 were detected. The flow rate of ventilation air ranged from 0.3 to 3.9 m3/s. The greatest reduction in solvent concentration in the workers' breathing zones was attained with a ventilation design where the supply air jets blew directly into the work zone.