BACKGROUND: Urinary biological monitoring for benzene (by measuring benzene metabolites) in coke oven by-product workers produced the unexpected result that 2 out of 10 employees had significantly raised urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA). However, simultaneous personal air sampling showed no excessive airborne exposure. METHODS: Possible causes for this finding were investigated having excluded inhalation as the route of uptake. It was suspected that skin absorption via contaminated overalls was the possible mechanism and a standard frequency for overall change was introduced. RESULTS: Changing overalls after every four shifts reduced uptake levels to less than the equivalent of 1 ppm inhaled dose for all employees. CONCLUSION: Skin absorption of benzene in coke oven by-product workers from contaminated overalls can be significant and therefore overalls should be changed on a regular and frequent basis.
BACKGROUND: Urinary biological monitoring for benzene (by measuring benzene metabolites) in coke oven by-product workers produced the unexpected result that 2 out of 10 employees had significantly raised urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA). However, simultaneous personal air sampling showed no excessive airborne exposure. METHODS: Possible causes for this finding were investigated having excluded inhalation as the route of uptake. It was suspected that skin absorption via contaminated overalls was the possible mechanism and a standard frequency for overall change was introduced. RESULTS: Changing overalls after every four shifts reduced uptake levels to less than the equivalent of 1 ppm inhaled dose for all employees. CONCLUSION: Skin absorption of benzene in coke oven by-product workers from contaminated overalls can be significant and therefore overalls should be changed on a regular and frequent basis.
Authors: Muhammad Mohsin; Hengbin Yin; Weilun Huang; Shijun Zhang; Luyao Zhang; Ana Mehak Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-03-22 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Marta Regina Cezar-Vaz; Laurelize Pereira Rocha; Clarice Alves Bonow; Mara Regina Santos da Silva; Joana Cezar Vaz; Letícia Silveira Cardoso Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2012-07-03 Impact factor: 3.390