Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore inhalation levels and dermal exposure to toluene among printing workers who wore no personal protective equipment; it is conducted in a plastic bag factory. Using a charcoal cloth pad (CCP) as a dermal sampler to assess skin permeation of liquid toluene is also investigated. Design/methodology/approach In total, 27 stationary air samples as well as urine and dermal samples were collected over 9 days from 11 printing workers. Six pieces of CCP were wrapped on each of the workers’ fingers for the dermal sample collection. Air samples were collected and analyzed according to NIOSH No. 1501, and 65 post-shift urine samples were collected and analyzed using gas chromatography equipped with headspace sampler (GC-HS/FID). Multiple linear regression was employed to analyze the association between the studied variables. Findings The mean (SD) urinary toluene (UTol) level was 13.42 (9.72) ug/L. Toluene on the CCP (TolCCP) was a meaningful predictor for UTol (p-value=0.027) with r and r2 values of 0.441 and 0.195, respectively. The r and r2 of the model using the toluene time-weighted average concentrations in air were 0.739 and 0.546, respectively. The absorbed dose of toluene determined from the TolCCP ranged from 1.05 to 91.94 mg, accounting for 12.3 percent of the threshold limit value (TLV). Originality/value Dermal exposure was insignificant when workers wore respirators, but when not, dermal absorption could contribute to the overall uptake and exposure above the TLV. Appropriate gloves should be assigned to the workers to reduce dermal exposure to toluene.
Highlights
The study was conducted in a plastic bag factory to explore the inhalation and dermal exposure to toluene of the printing workers who wore no PPE and the potential of a charcoal cloth pad (CCP) as a dermal sampler to assess the skin permeation of liquid toluene
The SYNERGY results show that occupational silica exposure is associated with an increased risks of all lung cancer types in a pooled analyses of community-based studies
Brazil is one of the major producers of chrysotile worldwide, but few studies evaluated its effects on the health of Brazilians
Summary
The study was conducted in a plastic bag factory to explore the inhalation and dermal exposure to toluene of the printing workers who wore no PPE and the potential of a charcoal cloth pad (CCP) as a dermal sampler to assess the skin permeation of liquid toluene. Methods Twenty-seven stationary air samples were collected on the same 9 days with the urine and dermal samples from 11 printing workers. Air samples were collected and analysed according to NIOSH # 1501 and 65 post-shift urine samples were collected and analysed for toluene using GC-HS/FID. Toluene on the CCP (TolCCP) is a meaningful predictor for the UTol (p-value=0.027), with r and r2 of 0.441 and 0.195 respectively. The absorbed dose of toluene determined from TolCCP ranging in between 1.05–91.94 mg and counting for the maximum of 12.3% TLV
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
