Industrial Health 2009, 47, 155â159 ... liver toxicity after heavy exposure to perchloroethylene ... occupational exposure to this chemical are however rela-.
Original Article
Industrial Health 2009, 47, 155–159
Occupational Exposure to Perchloroethylene in Dry-cleaning Shops in Tehran, Iran Seyed Reza AZIMI PIRSARAEI1*, Ali KHAVANIN2, Hassan ASILIAN2 and Ardalan SOLEIMANIAN2 1Occupational
Health Department, Faculty of Health and Paramedical Sciences, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Parvin Etesaami Ave, Post of Code: 4515786349, Zanjan, Iran 2Occupational Health Department of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran Received October 7, 2007 and accepted November 17, 2008
Abstract: Perchloroethylene, the most widely used solvent in dry cleaning, is toxic to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system and may be a human carcinogen. An exposure assessment was carried out in 69 dry-cleaning shops using perchloroethylene in Tehran city, Iran. The 8-h time weighted average (TWA) breathing zone air samples and end-exhaled air samples were obtained from 179 workers who worked as the job titles included machine operator (n=71), presser (n=63) and counter area (clerk) (n=45). The mean perchloroethylene concentrations in breathing zone air were 11.5 ppm, 9.6 ppm and 7.2 ppm respectively. The mean perchloroethylene concentrations in end-exhaled air of the same participants in Saturday morning (prior to shift of workweek) were 1.7 ppm, 1.5 ppm and 1.1 ppm, but in Thursday evening (end of shift at end of workweek) were 2.4 ppm, 2.0 ppm and 1.5 ppm respectively. This study found that, the mean perchloroethylene concentrations in breathing zone air and end-exhaled air in the dry-cleaning workers were lower than the TLV (25 ppm) and BEI (5 ppm) recommended by ACGIH. Regression analysis showed that the concentration of perchloroethylene in breathing zone air (TWA) was highly and significantly correlated with the concentration of perchloroethylene in end-exhaled air in Saturday morning with a regression equation Y=0.147X + 0.031 (r=0.99, p0.05). Regression analysis showed that the concentration of perchloroethylene in breathing zone air (TWA) was highly and significantly correlated with the concentration of perchloroethylene in end-exhaled air in Saturday morning with a regression equation Y=0.147X + 0.031 (r=0.99, p0.05) among the various jobs in a dry cleaning facility, the machine operators had the greatest perchloroethylene exposure. It is the reason that most of their time was spent in the vicinity of the dry-cleaning processes. Their duties usually include loading and unloading textiles, cleaning and maintaining equipment, spotting or other tasks nearby. On the other hand, the pressers and the counter area personnel usually are located away from the process machinery, and normally have no direct exposure to perchloroethylene. This study verifies findings the previous surveys that, on average the machine operators were more highly exposed than those in other job titles1, 2). The highest TWA exposure to perchloroethylene was 132.3 ppm because the presser’s workplace located in near of the dry-cleaning machine. The end-exhaled air analysis of the workers participated in this study showed that the mean perchloroethylene concentrations of the machine operators, the pressers and the counter areas were lower than BEIs (5 ppm) recommended by the ACGIH16). The machine operators had higher levels of perchloroethylene in their end-exhaled air than the others, though the ANOVA test did not show statistically significant difference (p>0.05). The highest perchloroethylene level in end-exhaled air was 19.1 ppm and 26.5 ppm in Saturday morning and in Thursday evening, respectively, associated with the presser who had the highest TWA
Industrial Health 2009, 47, 155–159
EXPOSURE TO PERCHLOROETHYLENE IN DRY-CLEANING SHOPS exposure to perchloroethylene (132.3 ppm). This study found that perchloroethylene in end-exhaled air and perchloroethylene in breathing zone air were highly correlated. This study was the first evaluation of the workers exposure to perchloroethylene by end-exhaled air, in a field study of this size in Iran. The results showed the potential utility of measuring the concentration of perchloroethylene exerted in breath as a method of assessing relative exposure in dry cleaning shops that use PCE. The application of biological monitoring to field study is desirable because it indicates uptake dose, instead of concentration in for dose. The low cost and simplicity of the breath sampling (end-exhaled air) method enabled expired air samples to be collected in virtually all participating workers. Breath (end-exhaled air) analysis has the great advantage of being noninvasive14, 15). The results of this study showed that some workers in dry-cleaning shops were highly exposed to perchloroethylene; therefore control measures should be done for decreasing the airborne perchloroethylene level. Training or health education, as pointed out as a fundamental tool in the prevention of occupational diseases, will be repeated at least annually for each worker. The engineering measures and the use of suitable control methods such as dilution or exhaust ventilation systems and fresh air respirators are very useful in decreasing the contamination in work places and in increasing the heath of the dry-cleaning workers.
Acknowledgements Funding through the Deputy of Research of Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran. My thanks are due to Mr. Khavanin Ali, Mr. Asilian Hassan, Mr. Soleimanian Ardalan, Occupational Health Department, Tarbiat Modarres University for their technical assistance.
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