Pigment Skin Absorption: Are Paint Pigments Absorbed in the Body by Skin Contact

Are pigments in paint, such as linseed oil, absorbed in the body with skin contact?

Monona Rossol writes, “Lead metals, lead oxide, and lead nitrate are known to absorb through the skin. Other compounds probably can absorb as well” (The Artist’s Complete Health and Safety Guide, page 157). What about other pigments like cobalt, cadmium, manganese, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, etc.?

This widely distributed book has influenced many artists’ views of health and safety in artistic practices. However, such statements are overly generalized and do not consider aspects of chemistry and physiology.

I am not a toxicologist, but I have done much research on the toxicology of lead, mercury, and arsenic-based pigments in paint.

Factors Affecting Pigment Skin Absorption

Absorption of substances through the skin depends on several factors, the most important of which are concentration, duration of contact, solubility, molecular weight of the substance, and physical condition of the skin and part of the body exposed.

Chemicals must pass through the seven layers of the epidermis before entering the dermis, where they can enter the bloodstream or lymph system and circulate to other areas of the body. The outermost layer of the epidermis is the rate-limiting barrier in absorption. Thus, how quickly something passes through this thicker outer layer determines the overall absorption. If the skin is healthy, substances not soluble in lipids and water are less likely to pass through this outer layer due to diffusion.