# Personal Protective Equipment as a Potential Source of
## 3 Results
### Phthalate Concentrations in Face Masks and Face Shields
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l l l l l l l} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Sample Code**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Product Data:**} & \multicolumn{6}{c}{**Phthalate Content (ug/g/g Mean (SD); n = 3)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Total Pathhate**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**Other Plasticizers/**} \\  & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**Origin/Materials**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**DBP**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**BBP**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**DEHP**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**DaOP**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**DINP**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**DIDP**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**DIDP**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**Condition* (ug/g)**} & \multicolumn{1}{l}{**Additives**} ** \\ \hline MS30 & Reusable cloth masks/NA/NA & 0.60 & \(<\)LOQ & 1.05 & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & 1.65 & Monopro-2-ynyl \\  & & (0.04) & \(<\)LOQ & (0.15) & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & 1.65 & phthalate \\ \hline MS31 & Reusable cloth masks/NA/NA & 4.60 & \(<\)LOQ & 938 & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & 942.60 & Monopro-2-ynyl \\  & & (0.83) & \(<\)LOQ & (826) & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & 942.60 & phthalate \\ \hline MS32 & Reusable cloth masks/Saudi & 0.71 & \(<\)LOQ & 2.48 & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & 3.19 & Monoproopro-2-ynyl \\  & & (0.08) & \(<\)LOQ & (0.13) & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & 3.19 & phthalate \\ \hline MS33 & Reusable sponge & 1.29 & \(<\)LOQ & 7.29 & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & \(<\)LOQ & 8.58 &
\begin{tabular}{l} Deyl decanoate, \\ Bis(2-butocyclophyll) \\ adipate \\ \end{tabular} \\  & polypropylene & \multicolumn{1}{l}{\({}^{*}\)Real phthalate content is the sum of the concentrations of the six target analytes in a sample. ** \\ \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: _Cott._The levels of DBP and DEHP ranged from 0.17 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 0.02 \(\upmu\)g/g to 7.32 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 0.60 \(\upmu\)g/g and from 0.12 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 0.01 \(\upmu\)g/g to 938 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 826 \(\upmu\)g/g, respectively. The BBP and DINP levels ranged from 0.64 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 0.02 \(\upmu\)g/g to 2.08 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 0.14 \(\upmu\)g/g and from 2.25 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 0.37 \(\upmu\)g to 503 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 109 \(\upmu\)g/g, respectively. Total phthalate contents, i.e., the sum of the concentrations of the six target analytes in a sample, ranged from 0.29 \(\upmu\)g/g to 942.60 \(\upmu\)g/g in the tested face masks and face shields. The two face shields contained lower levels of phthalates than the face masks, with total phthalate contents ranging from 0.29 \(\upmu\)g/g to 0.54 \(\upmu\)g/g. In general, disposable masks contained lower phthalate content in the range of 1.02-10.87 \(\upmu\)g/g than reusable cloth masks, which showed the highest levels, reaching 942.60 \(\upmu\)g/g. The KN95 mask with a plastic exhalation valve was the only disposable mask that had a total phthalate content higher than the range found in the disposable masks. DBP, BBP, and DEHP were present in this mask at the levels of 2.55 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 0.54 \(\upmu\)g/g, 0.64 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 0.02 \(\upmu\)g/g, and 263 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 85.8 \(\upmu\)g/g, respectively. These higher levels seem to result from the manufacturing materials used in the plastic exhalation valve because another KN95 sample from the same manufacturer with no valve was tested, and it showed a lower phthalate content (1.26 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 0.40 \(\upmu\)g/g, <LOQ, and 4.92 \(\upmu\)g/g \(\pm\) 1.22 \(\upmu\)g/g for DBP, BBP, and DEHP, respectively).