Health Risk Assessment for Inhalation Exposure to Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether at Petrol Stations in Southern China.

Dalin Hu,Yungang Liu,Zhiliang Zhu,Jianhui Yuan,Jianping Yang,Xiaowu Peng,Qinzhi Wei,Wenjuan Zhang

doi:10.3390/ijerph13020204

Abstract

Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a well known gasoline additive, is used in China nationwide to enhance the octane number of gasoline and reduce harmful exhaust emissions, yet little is known regarding the potential health risk associated with occupational exposure to MTBE in petrol stations. In this study, 97 petrol station attendants (PSAs) in southern China were recruited for an assessment of the health risk associated with inhalation exposure to MTBE. The personal exposure levels of MTBE were analyzed by Head Space Solid Phase Microextraction GC/MS, and the demographic characteristics of the PSAs were investigated. Cancer and non-cancer risks were calculated with the methods recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The results showed that the exposure levels of MTBE in operating workers were much higher than among support staff (p < 0.01) and both were lower than 50 ppm (an occupational threshold limit value). The calculated cancer risks (CRs) at the investigated petrol stations was 0.170 to 0.240 per 106 for operating workers, and 0.026 to 0.049 per 106 for support staff, which are below the typical target range for risk management of 1 × 10−6 to 1 × 10−4; The hazard quotients (HQs) for all subjects were <1. In conclusion, our study indicates that the MTBE exposure of PSAs in southern China is in a low range which does not seem to be a significant health risk.

Highlights

In 1970s, the Clean Air Act (CAA) approved by the U.S Congress banned the use of lead alkyls in gasoline, and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was initially used as a substitute for lead alkyls to enhance octane number of gasoline and reduce carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions [1,2,3].Up to now, Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) has been used commonly in many countries, including China
The procedures for the recruitment and data collection were approved by the local ethical research committee, and the purpose of the study was described in detail to each participant prior to obtaining written informed consent
A total of 97 petrol station attendants (PSAs) from eight petrol stations in southern China were recruited in this study

Summary

Introduction

In 1970s, the Clean Air Act (CAA) approved by the U.S Congress banned the use of lead alkyls in gasoline, and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was initially used as a substitute for lead alkyls to enhance octane number of gasoline and reduce carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions [1,2,3]. MTBE has been used commonly in many countries, including China. Epidemiological studies have shown that the blood concentrations of MTBE observed in exposed workers correlate positively with those of their working environment [4,5]. Inhalation, and skin are the routes of human exposure to MTBE, with inhalation exposure representing the predominant occupational. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 204; doi:10.3390/ijerph13020204 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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