Manicurist, A Shoddily Prepared Warrior Against Chemicals (standfirst) With the kind of harsh environment that a manicurist works

in, it is a surprise that this occupation is not listed under the list of Dangerous Jobs.

Like a warrior with armour in the battlefield, a manicurist wears disposable mask and gloves to protect her from harsh chemicals, but this protective measure is not adequate in a poorly ventilated shop to protect her against constant exposure to dangerous chemicals.

In a rented air-conditioned room decorated with a small ventilation ceiling fan that is not moving, Annie Tan, 50, the boss of AT nails, bends her head over the customers fingernail and carefully removes the excess skin around the nail.

Despite being a skilful nail technician who has won her loyal regular customers, her own fingernails were bare while her fingers were peeling skin. My fingers are dry and peeling because they are constantly exposed to chemicals. But I dont wear gloves because Im not used to it, she said.

When asked if she knows the long-term health effects of exposure to the solvents she uses daily, she smiled and answered, Oh Im not really sure of the health effects. Im really not sure

She is not the only one who is unsure of the health effects. 8 out of ten manicurists interviewed at Far East Shopping Centre gave shoulder shrugs or surprised looks when asked if they knew the long-term health effects of exposure to the solvents

they use daily.

Womens Voices For The Earth, a national organisation that engages women to advocate for the right to live in a healthy environment, also listed several strong solvents commonly used in salons that can lead to nose, throat, lung, skin and eye irritation, as well as headaches, dizziness and confusion. Acrylic nail application leads to nail dust and acrylic polymers that have a very strong odour even at low concentration, and are irritating to the eyes and the respiratory system.

Many chemicals present in nail salons are commonly used in auto body paint shops, but in smaller quantities, according to a report by Womens Voices For The Earth. The three most common and dangerous chemicals found in all nail polish are toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate.

Toulene is a colourless and flammable liquid obtained from petroleum or coal tar. Low levels of toluene can cause fatigue, drunken-type actions, memory loss, nausea, loss of appetite and hearing and color vision loss, whereas high levels can cause birth defects in children including retarded mental and physical growth.

While formaldehyde does not exist in nail polish, it is used in some nail hardeners. It is an ingredient commonly found in adhesives, consumer products and industrial purposes to make plastics and chemicals.

According to Childrens Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC), formaldehyde is highly toxic when absorbed through skin, and very highly toxic when absorbed

by mouth or inhaling. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ranked formaldehyde a "probable" human carcinogen, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently upgraded its classification to "known," concluding that formaldehyde "is carcinogenic to humans." cancer and may also be linked to cancer of the nose and throat in humans.

Dibutyl pthalates, commonly found in nail polishers, are often used to soften plastic. CHEC warned that if this chemical is not handled properly, it can be easily absorbed through the skin and intestinal tract, and can harm the developing foetus.

It has been linked to early puberty in girls and low sperm counts in men, and longterm exposures may result in kidney and liver damage.

Aside from chemicals, The New York Times reported that nail dust and fumes from acrylic and glue, which are used to make artificial nails, can cause breathing problems.

Manicurists interviewed by Vhi Healthcare reported nagging problems such as headaches, asthma, chronic cough, dermatitis, runny or dry nose, and fatigue or depression after coming into contact with the nail dust.

If you dont wear a mask, your nostrils will turn black when you dig it due to the nail dust. And you can suffer from cancer if you dont wear one, especially if you are dealing with acrylics. But unless you drink the chemicals, they are not very harmful, answered Carrie Sou, 26, a manicurist of Nail Retreat, as she was

attending to a customers toes.

Despite having said that, she was not seen wearing a mask, while the other manicurists interviewed were seen with disposable mask. All the manicurists interviewed said that they have become used to the smell after years of working, and despite constant exposure to chemicals in solvents, they have not suffered health-related problems.

Even though disposable masks are used as an air filter to guard them from dust fillings, it does not protect from the inhalation of the toxic chemical fumes. This is because with continued exposure, the nerves for the sensation of smell may become desensitised to the noxious fumes and you may not be able to detect the fumes.

You can get used to it, but that doesnt mean that its not there doing the damage, said Serquina, a salon shop owner, in an interview by www.ahealthyme.com.

Even though salons with poor ventilation tend to have overpowering fumes, this does not deter customers like Greta Yap Su Rong, 19, a student from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, who had never heard of any health problems caused by nail polish. When told about the potential health problems, she replied, Oh I will still go for manicures. But if Im pregnant, I wouldnt go.

Despite mobilisation by environmental groups in United States for a Campaign for

Safe Cosmetics, where cosmetics companies are encouraged to sign a pledge to not use chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects in the products, and to implement substitution plans that replace hazardous materials with safer alternative in every market they serve, industry giants such as Unilever, Avon, Loreal, Revlon, Estee Lauder, Revlon, Proctor & Gambler and OPI have refused to sign the pledge.

However, a year after consumers and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics pressured OPI, the maker of the universal salon brand of nail polishes and treatments, to remove chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and infertility, OPI decided to remove dibutyl phthalate and toluene from its products.

This is good news for manicurists and consumers, as all the manicurists interviewed at Far East Shopping Centre said that they use OPI, which is also known as the branded nail polish. Revlon used to be very trendy, but now we use OPI because of consumer demand. It has the best quality and dries faster, said Miss Tan.

However, even though nail polish is safer than before, it does not mean that other solvents are safe.

According to http://www2.vhi.ie/topic/manicurists, Manicurists routinely handle solvents, chemicals, solutions and glues, in which most of them contain chemicals that are irritants, which can cause allergic reactions or affect the central nervous system. When all these chemicals are used in a poorly ventilated room, it can lead

to significantly increased levels of toxic chemicals in the salon.

In an interview by www.ewg.org/node/18747, Stacy Malkan, spokeswoman for The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics watchdog coalition said, "Why did we fight about the science of cigarettes for 30 years when it was black and white? The bottom line is, the [cosmetics] industry can't show us that the chemical is safe while there's lots of information that it is dangerous. 'A little bit of carcinogen is OK.' That's what they're trying to tell us."