Evaluation of Exposure to 2,2‐Dichloro‐1,1,1‐Trifluoroethane (HCFC‐123) in Air‐conditioner Manufacturing Workers and their Health Effects in South Korea

Evaluation of exposure to 2,2‐Dichloro‐1,1,1‐trifluoroethane (HCFC‐123) in air‐conditioner manufacturing workers and their health effects in South Korea: Yong Chul Shin, et al. Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Inje University— Hepatic dysfunction in workers exposed to HCFC‐123 has recently been reported, but information on the level of exposure to the material and the related hepatotoxicity in workers handling the material is very limited. This study evaluated the exposure status in some Korean workers handling the chemical and whether they have liver dysfunction. We investigated all four factories manufacturing large‐sized industrial air‐conditioners operating in South Korea in 1998. The range and geometric mean of the estimated 8‐hour TWA concentrations at two factories were 2.2 ppm (0.89‐4.2 ppm) and 32.5 ppm (4.9‐113.9 ppm), respectively. It was estimated that the HCFC‐123 concentrations at the other two factories were lower than those at the former two. Liver function was within the normal range in all the exposed workers. The present study did not show any health effect of HCFC‐123 on workers. Worker exposure in this study was intermittent and lower than in studies which reported cases of liver dysfunction, so that the level and pattern of exposure to HCFC‐123 would be very important as a cause of liver dysfunction. Our study showed that liver dysfunction did not occur at an exposure concentration less than 32.5 ppm as an 8‐hour TWA of HCFC‐123.