Abstract

Workers are exposed to pollutants generated by hair salon activities, which may pose potential health risks. This study measured volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations in five hair salons using a high-sensitivity photoionization detector (PID) during daily work shifts. The highest VOC concentration was observed in Hair Salon III (0.87 ± 0.57 ppm), likely due to its high customer volume and the use of organic solvents during cleaning procedures. VOC concentrations were higher on weekends than on weekdays. Workers’ exposure to VOCs was elevated during the morning and evening periods, possibly due to inadequate ventilation and cleaning activities conducted at the beginning and end of business hours. The variance structure indicated that indoor VOC concentrations were primarily influenced by emission sources within the salons. Therefore, representative monitoring should prioritize a range of salon types to adequately characterize the variability in VOC exposure. Hair Salon III exhibited the highest exposure concentration (EC), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI), with values of 0.055, 0.018, and 0.047, respectively. The health risk assessment indicated that workers in all five hair salons were not at significant risk of non-carcinogenic health effects, as all HQ values were below the acceptable threshold of 1.0.

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