Determination of Safe concentration of Benzene Exposure in Workers in a Laboratory of Oil Processing industry in indonesia

Abstract

Benzene is one of the substances included in the poison of air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified benzene in Group A carcinogens for humans. The widespread use of benzene in the industrial world can have harmful consequences. The amount of exposure workers receive has a negative impact on their health. Workers at the petroleum refinery laboratory are workers at risk of exposure to benzene. The study aimed to measure the safe concentration limit in the Main Laboratory section of PT. Pertamina RU IV Cilacap. This was a cross sectional, observational, and descriptive study with 51 samples of PT Pertamina RU IV Cilacap laboratory workers. Variables of this study were benzene concentration in the workplace, working time per day, work respiration rate, worker height, weight, and body surface area, white mice body surface and weight, Km factor on workers (Human Km), Km factor on animals (Animal Km), No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL), safe human dose (SHD), and benzene safe concentrations (C safe) in the air for workers. The result indicated that safe concentration (C safe) limit in PT Pertamina RU IV Cilacap was 0.03 ppm. It is less than the safe concentration set by Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Regulation No. 13 of 2011 which stated that the c safe is 0.5 ppm. It showed that the TLV in the Main Laboratory section of PT. Pertamina RU IV Cilacap is not safe for workers as benzene concentration in this laboratory is 16.67 times bigger than its safe concentration of benzene. © 2019, Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development. All rights reserved.