a review paper on dermal exposure to flame retardants shows very little published science, citing data from only four studies (Frederiksen 2016, Abdallah 2016, Pawar 2017, Zheng 2017, Fatunsin 2020) and for only eight FRs (HBCD, TBBPA, TCEP, TCIPP, TDCPP, TPHP, EHDPP, TEHP). This data particularly concerns dermal uptake via dust and it is noted that this may be more significant than oral intake. It is suggested that brominated FRs may have generally higher dermal bioaccessibility than organophosphorus FRs, with dermal exposures for FRs estimated as 0.1 – 4 ng/kg bw/day (Pawal 2017). Rates of release of FRs from materials are not considered, despite these are important in defining potential exposure. Overall the conclusion is the need for more data on dermal exposure to FRs, especially new FR molecules, and on dermal metabolism and dermal bioavailability of FRs.
“A review of the success and challenges in characterizing human dermal exposure to flame retardants”, E. Zini Moreira Silva et al., Archives of Toxicology 2021 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-021-03130-z