ABSTRACT The assessment of dermal exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is increasingly important in occupational health, yet standardised methods for quantifying such exposure remain lacking. In this study, a novel, custom-designed activated charcoal cloth (ACC) patch was developed, validated, and tested under workplace conditions to evaluate its suitability for real-world applications. We evaluated a cleaning strategy involving baking ACC patches for 2 hours at 120°C, the sample stability of twelve VOCs under three storage conditions (25°C, 4°C, and −20°C) and the desorption efficiency of 186 VOCs. Post-cleaning analysis confirmed minimal residual contamination, with surface loading of 0.77 to 6.13 µg/patch. Optimal storage stability was observed at −20°C, with no significant degradation over two weeks. Furthermore, 33 VOCs exhibited concentration-dependent desorption profiles consistent with a Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm across a concentration range of 0.0005–1 % v/v. In a proof-of-concept field study, the KUL ACC patch demonstrated performance comparable to that of the commercially available ACC patch, with the added benefit of reducing analytical time from 2 hours to 1 hour and improved robustness. These results highlight the potential of the custom-made ACC patch as a reliable and efficient tool for quantifying VOC deposition and dermal exposure in future occupational studies.
Claus et al. (Mon,) studied this question.