Showing 5 results for Btex
Bahram Harati, Seyed Jamaleddin Shahtaheri, Ali Karimi, Kamal Azam, Alireza Ahmadi, Maryam Afzali Rad, Ali Harati,
Volume 7, Issue 2 (6-2017)
Abstract
Introduction: In recent years, many national and international expert groups have considered specific improvements in risk assessment of chemical pollutants. This study considered to assess the risk of workers exposure to air pollutants in an automobile manufacturing in order to evaluate the health risk assessment due to the inhalation exposure.
Material and Method: To perform this study, a cross-sectional research was done in 2016. Methods number 1501 and 7602 of the National Institute of occupational safety and Health (NIOSH) were used for sampling and analysis of compounds BTEX and silica in the air. A total of 40 samples of compound BTEX were taken and analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). A total of 6 samples of silica were collected during the campaign. Silica analyses were performed by using visible spectrophotometry. Risk ranking was calculated using the hazard and exposure rate. Finally, the relative risk of blood cancer caused by exposure to benzene was estimated.
Result: The result demonstrated that, workers were exposed to 5 chemicals including silica, benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene, and xylene during their work in manufactory. Among the pollutants in the breathing zone of workers, Silica and benzene were hazardous chemicals at high risk level. Following the estimation of relative risk of blood cancer caused by exposure to benzene, workers cumulative exposure to benzene was obtained to be 23.1 ppm per year and the capture relative risk was 1.1. The consequence demonstrated that, significant relationships were seen between workers exposure to benzene and both age and work experience, so that degree of exposure decreased steadily with increasing age and experience (P<0.001).
Conclusion: This research demonstrated that, benzene and silica in the automobile manufacturing were the highest risk. Also, painting hall workers, at automobile manufacturing, were directly exposed to the blood cancer risk of benzene.
Fateme Dehghani, Farideh Golbabaei, Seyed Abolfazl Zakerian, Fariborz Omidi, Mohammad Ali Mansournia,
Volume 8, Issue 1 (4-2018)
Abstract
Introduction: Adverse effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including general and specific effects like carcinogenic of benzene are well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate occupational exposure to BTEX compounds in the painting unit of an automotive industry and subsequently health risk assessment of exposure to these compounds.
Material and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the paint unit of an automotive industry including painting cabin, pre-painting salon and painting salon sections. After analyzing samples, gathered from different sections, by GC-MS, BTEX compound were identified as the main contaminants. In the next step, NIOSH1501 and EPA methods were used to measure and analysis of BTEX and risk assessment, respectively.
Result: Findings showed that benzene concentration in painting cabin was higher than occupational exposure limits provided by the Environmental and Occupational Health Center of Iran. Life time cancer risk for benzene per 1000 has been reported10, 3.63 and 1.27in the painting cabin, pre-painting and salon sections, respectively. It was also for ethyl benzene 2.5m 1.8 and 38.0 in the mentioned sections, respectively. The non-cancer risk for benzene and xylene in the painting cabin and pre-painting sections were higher than recommended allowable level.
Conclusion: Regarding the high level of cancer risk values obtained for benzene and ethylbenzene in the studied units and also high values of non-cancer risk for benzene and xylene, it is recommended to conduct biological exposure assessmnet of the workers and improve existence control systems using modern engineering control systems.
Fariborz Omidi, Reza Ali Fallahzadeh, Fateme Dehghani, Bahram Harati, Saied Barati Chamgordani, Vahid Gharibi,
Volume 8, Issue 3 (9-2018)
Abstract
Introduction: Workers in steel manufacturing companies are extensively exposed to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Considering the health effects of these compounds, the purpose of this study was to determine occupational exposure to the BTEX compounds and also evaluation of carcinogenic risk due to benzene and non- carcinogenic risk for BTEX compounds in a steel industry.
Material and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the coke production unit of the steel making industry. After collecting personal samples from breathing zone of the workers and analyzing of the samples the levels of exposure to the BTEX were quantitatively determined using Gas chromatography equipped with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID), according to the NIOSH 1501 standard method. Then, cancer risk due to benzene and non-cancer risks from BTEX compounds were calculated using Monte-Carlo technique.
Result: The analysis of personal samples indicated that benzene concentration in energy and biochemistry and benzol refinement sections of the plant were higher than occupational exposure limits (OELs). Among the studied sections, benzol refinement as the most polluted section had the highest concentration of BTEX compounds. Non-cancer risk due to BTEX compounds in all studied sections was lower than one. Benzene cancer risk in energy and biochemistry, benzol refinement and experimental furnace sections was higher than maximum recommended value by EPA.
Conclusion: Due to the high concentration of benzene in energy and biochemistry and benzene refinement sections as well as the resultant carcinogenic risk, improvement of existing control systems and the use of modern engineering systems are necessary to control occupational exposure.
Fateme Dehghani, Seyed Abolfazl Zakerian, Farideh Golbabaei, Fariborz Omidi,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (4-2019)
Abstract
Introduction: Exposure to organic solvents cause adverse effects on various systems such as the central nervous system, behavioral and cognitive changes, sleep disorders, as well as changes in mood. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of long term exposure to mixed organic solvents on positive and negative aspects of the mood of the workers of a painting industry.
Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, based on the obtained results of Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and neuro-behavioral effects of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) compounds, these compounds were selected as the main organic solvents for the study and the amount of these compounds was quantitatively determined according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 1501. Furthermore, the mood status of workers was evaluated by the validated Persian version of BRUMS (The Brunel Mood Scale) questionnaire and the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 24.
Results: The mean of exposure to mixed organic solvents in different sections of the exposed group was reported to be 0, 0.27, 0.76, and 2.6 ppm. By increasing exposure to mixed organic solvents from the first quartile to the fourth quartile, fatigue and calmness scores were increased with a strong correlation (r = 0.7). Also the fatigue and calmness scores in the groups having elevated exposure were significantly higher than the control group. Furthermore, the obtained scores for tension, depression and anger in the exposed group were significantly higher than control group (p- value <0.05). There was no significant relationship between demographic data such as age, work experience and smoking with different subscale of mood status.
Conclusion: Long term exposure to low level of BTEX compounds has made an adverse effect on positive and negative mood status in different aspects. Also, increasing the level of exposure to mixed organic solvents was positively correlated to the obtained scores for fatigue and calmness.
Nematullah Kurd, Abdulrahman Bahrami, Abbas Afkhami, Farshid Ghorbani Shahna, Mohammad Javad Assari, Maryam Farhadian,
Volume 13, Issue 3 (9-2023)
Abstract
Introduction: Toluene, benzene, xylene, and ethylbenzene (BTEX) belong to the class of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and are identified as toxic volatile compounds due to their harmful properties. The reliable biomarkers for occupational exposure to these toxic compounds are hippuric acid (HA), trans,trans-muconic acid (tt-MA), mandelic acid (MA), and methylhippuric acid (MHA), which correlate with toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, respectively.
Material and Methods: A novel magnetized imine-linked covalent organic framework (Fe3O4@TFPA-Bd) was synthesized, marking its inaugural use as a sorbent in microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS). The synthesis of Fe3O4@TFPA-Bd was executed in a straightforward and efficient manner, using Fe3O4 nanoparticles as the magnetic core and benzidine (Bd) and Tris (4-formyl phenyl) amine (TFPA) as the structural building blocks. This newly produced sorbent was tested for the microextraction of hippuric acid (HA), mandelic acid (MA), trans, trans-muconic acid (tt-MA), and m-methyl hippuric acid (m-MHA) from urine samples, which were then analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In order to optimize the extraction performance, parameters like sample volume, elution volume, extraction cycles, pH, and sample solution temperature were thoroughly adjusted. The synthesized adsorbent underwent thorough characterization via scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
Results: The developed method showcased promising attributes: low detection limits (0.02 µg/ml for tt-MA, S/N=3), low quantification limits (0.06 µg/ml for tt-MA, S/N=10), a solid linear range (0.5-320 µg/ml for MA, R > 0.99), and commendable intra- and inter-day precision (2.4%-4.3% and 3.1%-7.8%, respectively) for volatile organic compound (VOC) biomarkers. Furthermore, the method demonstrated recoveries in the 81-87.5% range for spiked samples, indicating its practicality and effectiveness.
Conclusion: The developed procedure was suitable for the determination of BTEX biomarkers from urine samples and can be an alternative to previous methods.
