The use of biological monitoring in the assessment of occupational exposure to styrene in fiberglass-reinforced plastics industry
Brygiert, H.; Adamski, J.; Buszewski, B.
Medycyna Pracy 49(5): 439-448
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0465-5893 PMID: 9919603 Document Number: 494541
A field study was carried out in order to investigate the effect of occupational exposure to styrene on the urinary excretion of mandelic and phenylglyoxylic acids (MA and PGA). Over a period of three years, 210 periodical, prophylactic examinations were performed on 66 fiberglass-reinforced plastics workers. The examinations embraced environmental and biological monitoring, which involved the measurement of styrene concentration in the air and the excretion rate of urinary MA and PGA. An eight-hour time-weighed average (MAC) exposure values ranged from 16.1 to 246 mg/m3 (mean: 76.1 mg/m3). The average urinary excretion rates of MA and PGA were 17.7 (1-202) and 28.8 (2-267) mg/h, respectively. The measurements of MA excretion rate were compared with the measurements of styrene concentration in the air. It seems advisable to investigate whether the recommended biological limits value of 16 mg/h for mandelic acid is not too high in view of the binding OEL value of 50 mg/m3 for styrene.