Bieniek Grazyna, Kurkiewicz Slawomir, Wilczok Tadeusz, Klimek Katarzyna, Swiatkowska Longina, Lusiak Agnieszka
Department of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy Medical University of Silesia, Poland.
J Occup Health. 2004 May;46(3):181-6. doi: 10.1539/joh.46.181.
The objective of the study is to assess the external and internal exposures to aromatic hydrocarbons in the tar and oil naphthalene distillation processes at a coke plant. 69 workers engaged as operators in tar and oil naphthalene distillation processes and 25 non-exposed subjects were examined. Personal analyses of the benzene, toluene, xylene isomers, ethylbenzene, naphthalene, indan, indene and acenaphthene in the breathing zone air allowed us to determine the time weighted average exposure levels to the aromatic hydrocarbons listed above. The internal exposure was investigated by measurement of the urinary excretion of naphthols, 2-methylphenol and dimethylphenol isomers by means of gas chromatography with a flame ionization detection (GC/FID). Urine metabolites were extracted after enzymatic hydrolysis by solid-phase extraction with styrene-divinylbenzene resin. The time-weighted average concentrations of the hydrocarbons detected in the breathing zone air shows that the exposure levels of the workers are relatively low in comparison to the exposure limits. Statistically significant differences between average concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene isomers) determined at the workplaces in the tar distillation department have been found. Concentrations of the naphthalene and acenaphthene detected in workers from the oil distillation department are higher that those from the tar distillation department. Concentrations of naphthols, 2-methoxyphenol and dimethylphenol isomers in the urine of occupationally exposed workers were significantly higher than those of non-exposed subjects. Concentrations of the 2-methoxyphenol and dimethylphenol isomers in urine were significantly higher for the tar distillation workers, whereas concentrations of naphthols were higher for the oil naphthalene distillation workers. Operators at the tar and naphthalene oil distillation processes are simultaneously exposed to a mixture of different hydrocarbons, mainly benzene and naphthalene homologues.
本研究的目的是评估焦化厂焦油和石油萘蒸馏过程中芳烃的外部和内部暴露情况。对69名从事焦油和石油萘蒸馏过程的操作人员以及25名未暴露的受试者进行了检查。通过对呼吸带空气中苯、甲苯、二甲苯异构体、乙苯、萘、茚满、茚和苊的个人分析，我们得以确定上述芳烃的时间加权平均暴露水平。通过气相色谱-火焰离子化检测法（GC/FID）测定萘酚、2-甲基苯酚和二甲基苯酚异构体的尿排泄量来研究内部暴露情况。尿液代谢物在酶促水解后用苯乙烯-二乙烯基苯树脂进行固相萃取。呼吸带空气中检测到的碳氢化合物的时间加权平均浓度表明，与暴露限值相比，工人的暴露水平相对较低。在焦油蒸馏部门的工作场所测定的芳烃（苯、甲苯、二甲苯异构体）平均浓度之间存在统计学上的显著差异。在石油蒸馏部门工人中检测到的萘和苊的浓度高于焦油蒸馏部门的工人。职业暴露工人尿液中萘酚、2-甲氧基苯酚和二甲基苯酚异构体的浓度显著高于未暴露受试者。焦油蒸馏工人尿液中2-甲氧基苯酚和二甲基苯酚异构体的浓度显著较高，而石油萘蒸馏工人尿液中萘酚的浓度较高。焦油和萘油蒸馏过程的操作人员同时暴露于不同碳氢化合物的混合物中，主要是苯和萘同系物。
