Effect of a chemical mixture on dermal penetration of arsenic and nickel in male pig in vitro.

The effect of a chemical mixture on the dermal penetration of arsenic or nickel was assessed by applying arsenic-73 or nickel-63 alone or with the chemical mixture to dermatomed male pig skin samples in flow-through diffusion cells. The chemical mixture consisted of chloroform, phenanthrene, and toluene for arsenic penetration studies and phenol, toluene, and trichloroethylene (TCE) for nickel studies. These are predominant chemicals found at hazardous waste sites. Arsenic and nickel bind to skin after dermal exposure. Total penetration of arsenic and nickel in the chemical mixture were significantly increased by 33% and 20% compared to arsenic and nickel alone, respectively. While more radioactivity penetrated skin with chemical treatment than metal alone, significantly less radioactivity was loosely adsorbed to skin and could be easily washed off from the skin surface with soap and water. The results of this study indicate that the potential health risk from dermal exposure to arsenic or nickel is enhanced if other chemicals are present.