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Occupational exposure to benzene in the shoe industry
Author(s) -
Karačić Višnja,
Skender Ljiljana,
PrpićMajić Danica
Publication year - 1987
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.4700120507
Subject(s) - benzene , toluene , urine , phenol , medicine , occupational exposure , morning , chromatography , environmental chemistry , toxicology , chemistry , organic chemistry , environmental health , biology
In order to determine the possible actual exposure to benzene in the shoe industry from industrially used solvents, glues, and paints containing benzene as a nondeclared constituent, phenol in urine and benzene in blood, as indices of internal exposure to benzene, were measured in workers (N = 33). Since toluene, in contrast to benzene, is declared as a constituent in several glues, toluene in the blood of workers was also analysed. All analyses were performed using gas chromatography. Urine samples were collected on Monday morning (M I ) before work and on Wednesday (W I ) before and (W II ) after work. Venous blood samples were taken on Wednesday only, 1/2 hour after work. There was no difference in the phenol concentrations of M I and W I , while the phenol concentration of W II was about twice as high as that in W I . In all blood samples, benzene was found, as well as toluene, which was about four times higher in comparison with benzene. A correlation (r = 0.465; p < .01) was found between the difference in preand postshift phenol concentrations (W II — W I ) in urine and the benzene concentrations in blood. The results presented show that a trace amount of benzene, which is often not declared as a constitutent in industrially used chemicals, could be a source of marked exposure to benzene. It can also be concluded that changes in phenol in urine (if preshift and postshift samples are taken) might be a sufficiently sensitive parameter to assess exposure to benzene even when other data concerning the presence of benzene in the working atmosphere are not available.