Progress in industry and energetics, urbanisation and other activities are
ac companied with metal contamination of the environment. It is thus rather
important to prevent the permeation of metals across the human skin. The s
kin with its large area (about 2 m(2)), together with other routes of poten
tial contamination, could be an important negotiator of whole body intake.
Chemically different permeation inhibitors are being tested with the aim to
eliminate the toxicological effect of metals in humans. In the present stu
dy the use of zeolites was investigated. Synthetic (Zeolon) and natural zeo
lite (Mordenite were mixed with Indulona (R) Dez cream at different ratios.
Permeation of metals (Cs+, Co2+, Cd2+ ions) from water solution across the
intact 5 day-old rat skin was studied in vitro using vertical diffusion ce
lls., Tradiometrical method was applied to determine radionuclide permeatio
n of the above given metals. Zeolon was found to be a more effective inhibi
tor than Mordenite. Comparison of the different zeolibe/Indulona (R) Dez ra
tios indicated that the zeolite content in the cream mixture could influenc
e its inhibitory effect. Thus for example for Cs, the permeated fraction wa
s 0.0054 for the mixture zeolite/Indulona (R) Dez (1:2) and 0.0078 for the
mixture zeolite/Indulona (R) Dez (1:4) in the 5(th) experimental hour. For
experiments with cobalt, the highest radioactivity was detected in the zeol
ite, followed by the stratum corneum (SC) and epidermis, and the lowest in
the dermis. Biologically, the principal penetration barrier was found to be
the SC. The presented results established the importance of zeolites for c
aesium and cobalt permeation inhibition and thus for decreasing their poten
tial toxicity. The inhibitory effect of zeolites on cadmium permeation was
not confirmed.