Iranian Journal of

Background and Objectives: Bottles for packaging drinking water represent one of the most popular uses of plastic and polymer additives. Recently, public concerns related to possibility of exposure to chemicals through the consumption of polyethylene terephthalate bottled water has caused great concern to consumers. Phthalate esters, as a class of these compounds, are often classified as endocrine disruptors and one of them is a possible carcinogen for human. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of phthalates in bottled water and to calculate the health risk of phthalates intake via consumption of bottled waters. Materials and Method: After purchasing, samples were immediately stored according to the recommended conditions (25 ºC, dark place) given on the bottle label. Migration of phthalates was investigated in PET-bottled water at different time intervals using gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. Therefore, a phthalate exposure assessment was performed to characterize their risk to the consumer’s health via a calculated hazard quotient (HQ). Results: It seems that the duration of storage affects phthalate migration. Total increases of DEHP (811.8%), DBP (2545.2%), and BBP (832%) were observed at 12 months over the initial level before storage (bottled water immediately after production) but the level of phthalates in bottled water was always very low (<EPA:6 μg/L). Non-carcinogenic risk assessment from exposure to phthalate via consumption of bottled water was negligible in all of the subject groups (HQ<1). Furthermore, a little excess cancer risk of 9.9×10^-7 for bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was observed.Conclusion: The research showed that the concentration of phthalates in PET-bottled water was extremely low. Consequently, based on the risk assessment results, bottled waters regarding existence of safe for consumers and they phthalates are not considered as public health issue for consumers as phthalates does not have any risk exposure for the consumers.

Background and Objective: One of the air pollutants is volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Benzene, as a part of petrol, is a VOC, known to be carcinogenic to human beings (Group 1) and it has widespread application in  various industries and professions. Hence, the aim of the present study was semi-quantitative and quantitative health risk assessment of petrol bank workers exposure to benzene via inhalation in the Tehran, Iran.

Material and method: For these purpose, this descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in three stages. First stage consisted of measurement of benzene in two groups of participants: (1) petrol bank workers and (2) non-exposed people as control group. The second stage included the evaluation of worker^'s exposure to benzene and semi-quantitative risk assessment, and the third stage was estimating the lifetime cancer risk caused by exposure to benzene.

Results: Benzene mean concentration was near the threshold limit value (1600 µg/m³) and the mean benzene personal air level was 1527±246.4 µg/m³ in the petrol bank areas. With regard to semi-quantitative risk assessment method, benzene introduced as the most hazardous chemical with risk ratio of 4.5 has 5^th rank in risk levels (Extremely dangerous). Lifetime cancer risk estimation showed that in petrol bank workers the excess lifetime cancer risk was 27.5 times higher than unexposed group and the chance of cancer was one in a 1000 petrol bank workers.

Conclusion: This study indicates that petrol bank workers in Tehran have a potentially high cancer risk through inhalation exposure. Thus, preventative actions regarding to this hazardous and carcinogenic chemical must be started as soon as possible.

Background and Objective: Organochlorine pesticides are among the endocrine disrupting chemicals believed to produce a wide variety of adverse health outcomes such as cancers. Generally, fatty foods of animal origin are the major sources of human exposure to lipophilic contaminants such as DDTs and their metabolites. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate exposure of general population to DDTs via dietary milk consumption in Iran, and to assess the respective potential risks to health of people in terms of carcinogenic and none-carcinogenic effects.

Materials and Methods: The DDT residue levels were determined by GC/MS analysis in 60 milk samples of full fat pasteurized commercial types (3% fat). The assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks was calculated through international standard methods.

Results: In all of the milk samples, DDT and its metabolites were detected in the range of 0.0015 to 0.28 µg/L with the mean of 0.05±0.03, 0.15±0.08, 0.09±0.05, 0.05±0.02 µg/L for o, p-DDE, p,p-DDE, p,p-DDT, p,p-DDD, respectively. The calculated estimated daily intake (0.00006-0.0002 mg/kg/day) for all categories and all compounds were lower than the Reference doses (RfDs). Consequently, the hazard quotients calculated in these groups for DDTs were less than 1. Hazard index obtained for all compounds in full fat pasteurized milk based on maximum DDT residue concentrations was higher than unity confirming health risk. From the carcinogenic point of view, there is no risk and it was within the acceptable threshold of EPA.

Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the general population are exposing to DDT and its metabolites constantly. Therefore, it is recommended to biomonitoring and measuring these chemicals in all age groups especially in children.