The purpose of this report is to describe an exploratory investigation of potential dioxin exposures to artists/hobbyists who use ball clay to make pottery and related products. Dermal, inhalation and ingestion exposures to clay were measured at the ceramics art department of Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. The measurements were made in two separate studies: one in April 2003 and one in July 2004. This assessment combines the results of these two studies. Estimates of exposure were made based on measured levels of clay in the studio air, deposited on media representing food and on the skin of artists. Dioxin levels in the clay were based on levels reported in the literature for commercial ball clays commonly used by ceramic artists. Hypothetical dioxin dose estimates were calculated for each subject assuming that all used a 20% ball clay blend with 162 pg TEQ/g. The single-day total doses across the 10 subjects ranged from 0.32 to 7.1 pg TEQ/d, with an average of 1.44 pg TEQ/d (SD = 2.0). The dermal pathway was the major contributor to total dose, exceeding 67% for all subjects. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to explore how doses could vary in a broad population of artists. This simulation suggested a mean total dose of 6.4 pg TEQ/d (SD = 8.4), median of 3.5 pg TEQ/d, and 90th percentile of 14.8 pg TEQ/d.

"EPA/600/R-06/044F"--T.p. "September 2008"--T.p. Principal author, John Schaum ... Project Manager"--p. x. "National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency"--p. x. Includes bibliographical references.