PENETRATION OF INDUSTRIAL-CHEMICALS ACROSS THE SKIN - A PREDICTIVE MODEL

The recently reported dermal absorption and toxicity potential of indu strial chemicals is reconsidered using an alternative physicochemicall y based model of skin penetration. In this model, the outermost, and l east permeable, component of the skin [namely, the stratum corneum (SC )] is considered to provide only a lipoidal transport pathway into the body for chemicals that come into contact with the skin. The predicti ve algorithm of the model is biophysically compatible with known SC pr operties, and is based on experimental determinations of permeability coefficients through human skin in vitro for nearly 100 compounds of w idely divergent physicochemical properties. This simpler prediction re sults in significantly lower estimates of maximum percutaneous penetra tion fluxes.