Workplace Measurement Research Articles

GC/MS determination of the mutagenic heterocyclic amines MeIQx and DiMeIQx in cooking fumes

2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx) and 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethylimidazo-[4,5-f]quinoxaline (7,8-DiMeIQx) are heterocyclic aromatic amines formed during cooking of meat. The release of these mutagenic and possibly carcinogenic compounds into the ambient air was investigated. Minced beef/pork (1440 g) was fried at ∼210°C in a cast-iron frying pan. The cooking fumes were led through a glass funnel into a sampler which consisted of two glass fibre filters and an XAD-2 sorbent tube. MeIQx and DiMeIQx were analysed as 3,5-bistrifluoromethylbenzyl derivatives by GC/MS using electron ionisation in selected ion monitoring mode. The results showed that MeIQx and DiMeIQx are volatilised during frying. 0.014 ng/g of MeIQx and 0.007 ng/g of DiMeIQx were found on the filters and the sorbent tube in an air sample of 721. The proportions of 4,8- and 7,8-isomers of DiMeIQx were not determined. The method proved to be sufficiently sensitive (detection limit 0.1 ng/sample for MeIQx) and specific for workplace measurements.

Workplace Measurement of Respirator Effects Using Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography

Workplace Measurement of Respirator Effects Using Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography

Workplace measurement of respirator effects using respiratory inductive plethysmography.

A useful system to study the cardiopulmonary effects of respirators in the workplace would be reliable, portable, and lightweight and would not encumber the nose or mouth or require modification to the respirator. Twenty men using such a system (which measured ventilatory parameters by respiratory inductive plethysmography [RIP]) were studied. The subjects all performed their usual jobs which involved some work with and some without a respirator. Twelve subjects used airline respirators and eight used air-purifying respirators. The RIP equipment measurements included respiratory frequency, tidal volume (VT), minute ventilation (V), and heart rate (HR). The RIP data from 20 other subjects was lost because of equipment malfunction, primarily lead separation in those whose jobs involved climbing around large workpieces. In general, the workers' cardiopulmonary parameters increased during respirator wear, probably because of a combination of factors, including the increased exercise of most respirator-requiring tasks and the weight and heat stress associated with the respirator and protective clothing. When the ventilatory parameters with and without a respirator were compared at the same heart rates, no significant differences were noted in VT for the entire group. Respiratory frequency, however, and V increased with respirator wear. The effects of respirators alone were found to be commonly confounded in the workplace by changes in protective clothing, exercise requirements, and ambient heat stress. Further improvements in the portable RIP system are needed before it can be accepted as a reliable ventilatory measurement device in the workplace.