Transport and Diffusion Phenomena Modelling of Some Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through the Human Skin

Authors: Odisu, T. And Oboh, I.

DOI Info: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12599688

ABSTRACT

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of environmental and public health concerns and contribute to adverse skin aging and pigmentary disorder. For a better understanding of the transport characteristics of the human skin, transient state predictive mathematical models were successfully developed for the evaluation of the rate of transport of some selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through the human skin. Based on existing empirical relations and relevant assumptions, correlations were derived to evaluate the transdermal diffusive properties such as the diffusion coefficient, rate of evaporation and rate of elimination of organic compounds at the different layers of the skin. The developed computer-based models were solved using computational fluid dynamics. The simulation of the rate of transport for toluene, naphthalene, fluorine and anthracene were carried out for a duration of 20 hours through the three layers of the fore arm skin of an adult male under different operating conditions. The result indicated 7.234x10-3 kg/m3 , 5.341x10-3 kg/m3 , 2.854x10-3 kg/m3 , and 1.310x10-2 kg/m3, respectively. From the derived models the stratum corneum showed the highest degree of resistance to transdermal transport of chemicals when compared with other layers of the skin, which is in accordance with literature. Risk analysis were performed for all the compound and their health effects observed. Sensitivity analysis was also carried out on all the estimated parameters and the stratum corneum was shown to be the most sensitive section.

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