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Chlorophenol exposure in harbor workers exposed to river silt aerosols
Author(s) -
Radon Katja,
Wegner Ralf,
HeinrichRamm Regine,
Baur Xaver,
Poschadel Bernd,
Szadkowski Dieter
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.20002
Subject(s) - pentachlorophenol , medicine , population , environmental health , toxicology , creatinine , silt , zoology , environmental chemistry , biology , chemistry , paleontology
Abstract Objectives While dredging the river Elbe in the harbor of Hamburg, workers are potentially exposed to river silt aerosols containing organic compounds. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to determine the internal load of chlorophenols in exposed workers. Methods Eighty‐four exposed workers and eighty‐four unexposed office workers were examined. Urinary samples were analyzed for dichlorophenols, trichlorophenols, tetrachlorophenols, and pentachlorophenol (PCP). Results For exposed workers, more than 2/3 of the urinary samples were above detection limit for 2,5‐dichlorophenol, 2,4/3,4‐dichlorophenol, 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol, and PCP. Harbor workers had significantly higher median levels of 2,5‐dichlorophenol (0.6 vs. 0.4 µg/g creatinine) and PCP (1.4 vs. 1.0 µg/g creatinine) as compared to unexposed subjects. These differences remained statistically significant after adjustment for age, smoking habits, and fish consumption. Conclusion Harbor workers in the harbor of Hamburg have a statistically significant higher internal load of chlorophenols than the general population. However, the internal load is within the range of exposure reported from the general population. Therefore, even though chlorophenols are found in the river silt these exposures do not seem to be the major source of the internal load among workers in the harbor of Hamburg. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:440–445, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.