Open AccessExposure Assessment of ETBE in Gas Station Workers and Gasoline Tanker Truck Drivers
Author(s) -
Eitaki Yoko,
Kawai Toshio,
Omae Kazuyuki
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of occupational health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 1348-9585
DOI - 10.1539/joh.11-0111-oa
Subject(s) - gasoline , truck , environmental science , occupational exposure , occupational exposure limit , environmental engineering , environmental chemistry , chemistry , waste management , toxicology , environmental health , engineering , automotive engineering , medicine , biology
Exposure Assessment of ETBE in Gas Station Workers and Gasoline Tanker Truck Drivers: Yoko Eitaki, et al. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University—Objectives In order to measure occupational exposure concentrations of ethyl tertiarybutyl ether (ETBE), we developed a diffusive sampling method for monitoring ETBE and performed an ETBE exposure assessment. Methods The applicability of diffusive samplers was examined by exposing the samplers to ETBE vapor in test chambers. The personal exposure levels of workers and airborne concentrations were measured at 4 gas stations. Results The ETBE sampling rate for the diffusive samplers (VOC‐SD, Sigma‐Aldrich Japan) was 25.04 ml/min (25ºC). Compared with the active sampling method, the diffusive samplers could be used for short‐term measurements and in environments containing a mixture of organic solvents. The geometric mean (GM) of TWA‐8h ETBE was 0.08 ppm (0.02–0.28 ppm) in 28 gas station workers and 0.04 ppm (0.01–0.21 ppm) in 2 gasoline tanker truck drivers. With regard to ETBE airborne concentrations, the GM was 4.12 ppm (0.93–8.71 ppm) at the handles of hanging pumps but dropped to less than 0.01 ppm (less than 0.01–0.01 ppm) at the side of a public road. Conclusion The diffusive sampling method can be used for the measurement of occupational ETBE exposure. The threshold limit of TLV‐TWA 5 ppm recommended by the ACGIH was not exceeded in any of the workers in this study.