Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of long-term styrene exposure: a comparative study of a logbook method and biological monitoring

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In a recent joint European research project “Biomonitoring of human populations exposed to genotoxic environmental chemicals: biomonitoring of styrene exposed individuals”, a logbook method for assessment of long-term styrene exposure was applied in two Danish factories manufacturing glass fibre-reinforced polyester. The method was based on work process identification, assignment of work process concentrations and logbook keeping. Measures of exposure calculated by this method were compared with results from simultaneous measurements of styrene in blood and the metabolites mandelic acid and phenylglyoxylic acid in urine. Correlations were comparable with those obtained by use of personal samplers as published in the literature. Styrene in blood, however, only correlated with logbook concentrations at the time of sampling. Exposures were moderate to low. Mean personal 8-h time-weighted average concentration (8hTWAC) was 76 mg/m3 styrene (SD 54 mg/m3, range 2–230 mg/m3). The Danish 8hTWAC threshold limit value for styrene in air, 105 mg/m3 (25 ppm), was exceeded on 17% of personal days. The summed urinary metabolites, mandelic acid and phenylglyoxylic acid, had a mean personal value of 138 mg/g creatinine (SD 84 mg/g creatinine) on the day of sampling. Blood styrene mean value was 129 μg/l (SD 74 μg/l, range 66–358 μg/l). It is concluded that the logbook method offers a technique for testing whether measurements are performed on representative days and may be recommended as a tool supplementary to biological monitoring in the assessment of long-term exposure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ashton-Tate Corporation (1988) dBase IV, developer's edition

  2. Atherly G (1985) A critical review of time-weighted average as an index of exposure and dose, and of its key elements. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 46:481–487

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bowman JD, Held JL, Factor DR (1990) A field evaluation of mandelic acid in urine as a compliance monitor for styrene exposure. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 5:526–535

    Google Scholar 

  4. Brenner DD, Jeffrey AM, Latriano L, et al. (1991) Biomarkers in styrene-exposed boatbuilders. Mutat Res 261:225–236

    Google Scholar 

  5. Brugnone F, Perbellini L, Wang GZ, et al. (1993) Blood styrene concentrations in a “normal” population and in exposed workers 16 hours after the end of the workshift. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 65:125–130

    Google Scholar 

  6. Buringh E, Lasting R (1991) Exposure variability in the workplace: Its implication for the assessment of compliance. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 52:6–13

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Christakopoulos A, Bergmark E, Zorcec V, Norppa H, Mäki-Paakkanen J, Osterman-Golkar S (1993) Monitoring occupational exposure to styrene from hemoglobin adducts and metabolites in blood. Scand J Work Environ Health 19:255–63

    Google Scholar 

  8. Conover WJ (1980) Practical nonparametric statistics. 2nd ed. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  9. De Rosa E, Cellini M, Sessa G, et al. (1993) Biological monitoring of workers exposed to styrene and acetone. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 65:107–110

    Google Scholar 

  10. Droz PO, Berode M, Wu MM (1991) Evaluation of concominant biological and air monitoring results. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 6:465–474

    Google Scholar 

  11. Droz PO (1993) Pharmacokinetic modelling as a tool for biological monitoring. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 65:S53-S59

    Google Scholar 

  12. EEC project (1989) Biomonitoring of human populations exposed to genotoxic environmental chemicals: biomonitoring of styrene exposed individuals. Danish National Institute of Occupational Health CEC Contract no. EV4V-0179-DK

  13. Gobba F, Galassi C, Ghittori S, et al. (1993) Urinary styrene in the biological monitoring of styrene exposure. Scand J Work Environ Health 19:175–182

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Guillemin MP, Berode M (1988) Biological monitoring of styrene: a review. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 49:497–505

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. IARC Monographs (1985) Evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. Allyl compounds, aldehydes, epoxides and peroxides. vol 36: 245–263. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France

    Google Scholar 

  16. IARC Monographs (1987) Evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. Overall evaluations of carcinogenicity: an updating of IARC Monographs volumes 1 to 42. Supplement 7. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kivistö H, Pekari K, Aitio A (1993) Analysis and stability of phenylglyoxylic acid and mandelic acids in the urine of styreneexposed people. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 64:399–403

    Google Scholar 

  18. Long GL, Winefordner JD (1983) Limit of detection. A closer look at the IUPAC definition. Anal Chem 55:712–724

    Google Scholar 

  19. Löf A, Lundgren E, Nordqvist MB (1986) Kinetics of styrene in workers from a plastics industry after controlled exposure: a comparison with subjects not previously exposed. Br J Ind Med 43:537–543

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Mandel J (1984) Fitting straight lines when both variables are subject to error. J Qual Technol 16:1–14

    Google Scholar 

  21. Mürer AJL, Molin Christensen J, Midtgaard T (1994) Determination of urinary metabolites of styrene: estimation of the method evaluation function and evaluation of reference values in Danish subjects. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 65:313–318

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. NIOSH (1977) Manual of analytical methods, 2nd edn. Method No.: S 127

  23. Olsen E, Jensen B (1994) On the concept of the “normal” day. Quality control of occupational hygiene measurements. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 9:245–255

    Google Scholar 

  24. Olsen E (1994) Analysis of exposure using a logbook method. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 9:711–722

    Google Scholar 

  25. Pekari K, Riekkola M, Aitio A (1989) Simultaneous determination of benzene and toluene in the blood using head-space gas chromatography. J Chromatogr 491:309–320

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Rappaport SM (1991) Assessment of long-term exposures to toxic substances in air. Ann Occup Hyg 35:61–121

    Google Scholar 

  27. Walles SAS, Edling C, Anundi H, Johanson G (1993) Exposure dependent increase in DNA single strand breaks in leucocytes from workers exposed to low concentrations of styrene. Br J Ind Med 50:570–574

    Google Scholar 

  28. Wigaeus E, Löf A, Bjurström R, Nordqvist MB (1983) Exposure to styrene. Uptake, distribution, metabolism and elimination in man. Scand J Work Environ Health 9:479–488

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Occupational Health, Lersø Parkallé 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Bo Jensen, Ann J. L. Mürer, Erik Olsen & Jytte Molin Christensen

Authors
  1. Bo Jensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ann J. L. Mürer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Erik Olsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jytte Molin Christensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jensen, B., Mürer, A.J.L., Olsen, E. et al. Assessment of long-term styrene exposure: a comparative study of a logbook method and biological monitoring. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 66, 399–405 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383147

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383147

Key words

Search

Navigation