The origin of alkanes found in human skin surface lipids

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Journal of Investigative Dermatology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/1523-1747.ep12284393· OSTI ID:5109553

Bortz, J T; Wertz, P W; Downing, D T ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City (USA)

Lipids extracted from human skin contain variable amounts of paraffin hydrocarbons. Although the composition of these alkanes strongly resembles petroleum waxes, it has been proposed that they are biosynthetic products of human skin. To investigate this question, skin surface lipids from 15 normal subjects were analyzed for the amount and composition of alkanes, using quantitative thin-layer chromatography and quartz capillary gas chromatography. The alkanes were found to constitute 0.5% to 1.7% of the skin lipids. Subjects differed greatly in the chain length distribution of their alkanes between 15 and 35 carbon atoms, and in the relative amounts of normal alkanes (like those in petroleum waxes) and branched chain alkanes (like those in petroleum lubricating oils). In 6 subjects, the alkane content of cerumen from each ear was examined to investigate whether alkanes arrive at the skin surface by a systemic route or by direct contact with environmental surfaces. No trace of alkanes was found in 11 of the 12 cerumen samples. Using a tandem accelerator mass spectrometer for carbon-14 dating, a combined sample of the skin surface alkanes was found to have a theoretical age of 30,950 years, similar to that of a sample of petrolatum. These analyses indicate that the alkanes found on the surface of human skin are mixtures of a variety of petroleum distillation fractions that are acquired by direct contamination from the environment.

• OSTI ID: 5109553
• Journal Information: Journal of Investigative Dermatology; (USA), Vol. 93:6; ISSN 0022-202X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
LIPIDS
BIOSYNTHESIS
SKIN
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ALKANES
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CONTAMINATION
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
MAN
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
PETROLEUM
THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY
TRACER TECHNIQUES
ANIMALS
BODY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PRIMATES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
SYNTHESIS
VERTEBRATES
020600* - Petroleum- Health & Safety
550201 - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology