Tsai P J, Shieh H Y, Lee W J, Lai S O
Graduate Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health, Medical College, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Sci Total Environ. 2001 Oct 20;278(1-3):137-50. doi: 10.1016/s0048-9697(01)00643-x.
This study was established to assess workers' health-risks posed by PAHs exposures via both routes of inhalation and dermal contact. Personal inhalation exposure sampling was conducted on eight wet pelletizing workers and 22 packaging workers, by using a sampling train comprising an IOM personal inhalable aerosol sampler followed by an XAD-2 sorbent tube. Two workers were randomly selected from both exposure groups, and dermal exposures assessed by using soft polypropylene pads attached to the skin for nine different body surface areas for each selected worker. All personal inhalation and dermal samples were analyzed for 21 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) species, and then converted to benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaPeq) concentrations by using the list of toxic equivalent factors (TEFs) suggested by Nisbet and LaGoy [Regul Toxicol Pharmocol 16 (1992) 290]. The resultant inhalation and dermal BaPeq exposure levels were used to estimate lifetime risks for lung cancer and skin cancer by using the BaP unit risks of 7.0 x 10(-2) (microg/m3)(-1) and 37.47(mg/kg bodyweight/day)(-1), respectively. Results show the personal inhalation BaPeq exposure levels for pelletizing and packaging workers were 622 and 774 ng/m3, respectively. The corresponding lifetime lung cancer risks estimated for both exposure groups were 4.35 x 10(-2) and 5.42 x 10(-2) respectively. For dermal exposures, results show personal dermal BaPeq exposure levels for both exposure groups were 0.664 and 0.847 microg/kg per day, respectively. The corresponding estimated lifetime skin cancer risks were 1.13 x 10(-3) and 1.56 x 10(-3), respectively. Although the estimated skin cancer risks were lower than the corresponding lung cancer risks for both exposure groups, however, both were higher than the designated significant risk level (= 10(-3)) which was defined by the US Supreme Court in 1980. Considering the bioavailability of particle-bound PAHs still remains unknown, the health risks obtained from this study could be overestimated and thus require further investigation.
本研究旨在评估通过吸入和皮肤接触这两种途径接触多环芳烃（PAHs）给工人带来的健康风险。对8名湿法制粒工人和22名包装工人进行了个人吸入暴露采样，使用的采样装置包括一个IOM个人可吸入气溶胶采样器，后面接着一个XAD - 2吸附管。从两个暴露组中各随机选取两名工人，通过在每名选定工人的9个不同身体表面积部位贴上软质聚丙烯垫来评估皮肤暴露情况。对所有个人吸入和皮肤样本分析了21种多环芳烃（PAH）物质，然后根据Nisbet和LaGoy [《监管毒理学与药理学》16 (1992) 290] 建议的毒性当量因子（TEFs）列表将其转换为苯并[a]芘当量（BaPeq）浓度。所得的吸入和皮肤BaPeq暴露水平分别使用7.0×10⁻² （μg/m³）⁻¹ 和37.47（mg/kg体重/天）⁻¹ 的苯并[a]芘单位风险来估计肺癌和皮肤癌的终生风险。结果显示，制粒工人和包装工人的个人吸入BaPeq暴露水平分别为622和774 ng/m³。两个暴露组估计的相应终生肺癌风险分别为4.35×10⁻² 和5.42×10⁻²。对于皮肤暴露，结果显示两个暴露组的个人皮肤BaPeq暴露水平分别为每天0.664和0.847 μg/kg。相应估计的终生皮肤癌风险分别为1.13×10⁻³ 和1.56×10⁻³。尽管两个暴露组估计的皮肤癌风险低于相应的肺癌风险，然而，两者均高于美国最高法院在1980年定义的指定显著风险水平（= 10⁻³）。考虑到颗粒结合的多环芳烃的生物利用度仍然未知，本研究得出的健康风险可能被高估，因此需要进一步调查。
