Carbon disulphide. I. External and internal exposure to carbon disulphide of workers in the viscose industry.

Carbon disulphide (CS2), a reagent of rayon production, is known for its high toxic potential and has therefore been the subject of many clinical studies. The aims of the study presented here were to determine the effective exposure to CS2 and to compare the validity of the different exposure indicators. Internal and external exposure to CS2 was investigated in 362 male workers of a viscose factory. The CS2 air concentrations measured through stationary air monitoring in five different work areas (n = 39) were compared with the values of active personal air monitoring (n = 51) and passive personal air monitoring (n = 352). In addition, in all investigations biological monitoring was carried out by measuring the 2-thio-1,3- thiazolidine-carboxylic acid (TTCA) excretion in urine. A significant correlation was found between the data for active and passive personal air sampling (y = 0.99, x + 0.31, r = 0.968). The results of the stationary measurements led, however, to values which were systematically too low. The validity of TTCA excretion in urine as a parameter of biological monitoring could for the first time be verified in a large sample of subjects. There was a linear correlation between TTCA values in the urine related to both volume and creatinine [y (TTCAmg/g creatinine) = 0.315 x (ml CS2/m3 air) + 0.59] and the CS2 values in the air. Nevertheless, TTCA excretion proved to be dependent upon creatinine so that the excreted amounts related to creatinine described the individual exposure more exactly.