Loh Ching-Hui, Liou Saou-Hsing, Jiau Shyi-Shiaw, Cheng Wei-Tung, Shih Tung-Sheng, Chen Hong-I
Department of Family Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan 114, ROC.
Ind Health. 2008 Oct;46(5):463-9. doi: 10.2486/indhealth.46.463.
Data about hepatic effects of ethylene glycol ethers had been limited and inconsistent. In this study, we determined whether ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate (EGEEA) was a hepatotoxin in exposed workers. Workers from one silk-screening shop (n=29), using EGEEA as the major cleaning solvent, were recruited as high exposure group. Another group of workers with indirect and low exposure to EGEEA (n=57) were selected as the comparison group. Air concentration of EGEEA was measured by 8-h personal sampling. The mean of air EGEEA concentration in the high exposure group was 7.41-16.5 ppm. The mean of air EGEEA concentration in the low exposure group was 0.07-3.62 ppm. Liver function profiles showed that the AST, ALT, ALP and gamma GT in both male and female EGEEA-exposed workers were not significantly different from those in the comparison group. After adjustment for potential confounders such as gender, body mass index, hepatitis B status, and duration of employment, no difference in hepatic dysfunction were found between exposed and comparison groups. In addition, a two-year follow-up study of these EGEEA-exposed workers, no significant change in hepatic function was noted either. The findings suggest that EGEEA is not a hepatotoxin in this workplace.
