Determination of airborne isocyanates generated during the thermal degradation of car paint in body repair shops.

Polyurethanes are widely used in car paint formulations. During thermal degradation, such polymeric systems can generate powerful asthmatic sensitizing agents named isocyanates. In body repair shops, the thermal degradation of car paint can occur during abrasive processes that generate enough heat to involve release of isocyanates in air. An environmental monitoring study was performed in two body repair training schools and in a body repair shop to evaluate the workers' exposure to isocyanates during cutting, grinding and orbital sanding operations. For sampling, cassettes containing two 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazine (MOPIP)-coated glass fiber filters (MFs) ( approximately 5 mg of MOPIP per filter) and bubblers containing 15 ml of MOPIP solution in toluene (1.0 mg ml(-1)) backed at the outlet with cassettes containing two MFs were used. Tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze the MOPIP derivatives of isocyanic acid (HNCO), all the linear aliphatic isocyanates ranging from methyl isocyanate (Me-i) to hexyl isocyanate, all the alkenyl isocyanates ranging from propylene isocyanate to hexylene isocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), trans- and cis-isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), 2,4'-; 2,2'- and 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), phenyl isocyanate (Ph-i) and p-toluene isocyanate (p-Tol-i). The instrumental detection limits (LOD) were in the 0.13-0.75 microg of NCO per m(3) range for 15 l air samples converted into 3 ml liquid samples. The isocyanate concentrations detected in the workers' breathing zone were in the 1.07-9.80 microg of NCO per m(3) range for cutting, 0.63-3.62 microg of NCO per m(3) range for grinding and 0-1.29 microg of NCO per m(3) range for sanding. However, a rapid decrease of the isocyanate concentration was observed while moving away from the emission source. Among the isocyanates detected the most abundant were the monomers (MDI, HDI, TDI and IPDI) and Me-i.