195 A better way to fill exposure data gaps

Exposure assessment is a core component of regulatory quantitative risk assessment and plays a central role in risk management. Ideally, personal exposure measurements are collected using techniques that record an individual’s direct exposures. Though this type of data is preferred, it is often lacking. In this study, we tested whether a robot could be programmed to simulate human use of spray products and then used in place of human subjects for generating air concentration data. A robot was programmed to simulate human use of a fabric crafts protector (FCP) and a glass cleaning (GC) product. While the robot used these products, air sampling data was collected to estimate VOC concentrations. The sampling data was summarized and then compared to air concentration data found in the literature while humans used similar products. In this study we successfully programmed a robot to mimic human use of two spray products. Average VOC concentrations were 1.57 ppm for FCP spraying and 0.17 ppm for GC spraying and wiping. Air sampling data were found to be within the range of data reported in the literature. This study demonstrates the ability to use robots to simulate human exposures. It offers a systematic, efficient method for generating exposure data where gaps exist. This data can be used to validate or enhance models and improve health and safety risk assessments used for public health protection.