Summary
A group of printing workers (n = 34) exposed to toluene was examined according to the concentrations of hippuric acid, phenol, o-cresol, and (m+p)-cresol in urine. The average concentration in the air of the workroom was 23 ppm. It is shown that, besides hippuric acid, small amounts \((\bar x = 1.1{\text{ }}mg/l)\) of o-cresol. which is not a normal constituent of urine, were formed from toluene. The occurrence of o-cresol could be proved by mass spectrometry. On account of the small amounts of benzene present in industrially used toluene—in this case 0.025%—the average concentration of phenol in urine of the exposed group was significantly higher statistically \((\bar x = 7.6 \pm {\text{ 4}}{\text{.3 }}mg/l)\) than in urine from the controls \((\bar x = 5.3 \pm {\text{ 2}}{\text{.0 }}mg/l; n = 28)\).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Angerer, J.: Chronische Lösungsmittelbelastung am Arbeitsplatz. IV. Eine dünnschichtchromatographisch-densitometrische Methode zur Bestimmung von Hippursäure im Harn. Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 36, 287–297 (1976)
Angerer, J.: Chronische Lösungsmittelbelastung am Arbeitsplatz. V. Chromatographische Methoden zur Bestimmung von Phenolen im Harn. Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 42, 257–268 (1979)
Angerer, J., Baumann, K.: Cresols-metabolites of toluene. XIX International Congress on occupational health. Dubrovnik, September 25–30, 1978
Angerer, J., Szadkowski, D., Manz, A., Pett, R., Lehnert, G.: Chronische Lösungsmittelbelastung am Arbeitsplatz. I. Gaschromatographische Bestimmung von Benzol und Toluol in der Luft und im Dampfraum von Blutproben. Int. Arch. Arbeitsmed. 31, 1–8 (1973)
Bardodej, Z.: Beurteilung der Benzol- und Phenol-Gefährdung mit dem Phenoltest. Arbeitsmed. Sozialmed. Arbeitshyg. 3, 141–143 (1968)
Daly, J. W., Jerina, D. M., Witkop, B.: Arene oxides and the NIH shift: The metabolism, toxicity, and carcinogenity of aromatic compounds. Experientia 28, 1129–1149 (1972)
International Workshop on toxicology of benzene. Paris 9th–11th November 1976. Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 41, 65–76 (1978)
Jones, P. F., Johnson, K. E.: Estimation of phenols by the 4-aminoantipyrin method. Identification of the colored reaction products by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Can. J. Chem. 51, 2860–2868 (1973)
Laham, S.: Metabolism of industrial solvents. Industr. Med. Surg. 39, 61–64 (1970)
Szadkowski, D., Pett, R., Angerer, J., Manz, A., Lehnert, G.: Chronische Lösungsmittelbelastung am Arbeitsplatz. II. Schadstoffspiegel im Blut und Metabolitenelimination im Harn in ihrer Bedeutung als Überwachungskriterien bei toluolexponierten Tiefdruckern. Int. Arch. Arbeitsmed. 31, 265–276 (1973)
Williams, R. T.: Detoxication mechanisms, 2nd ed., p. 188. New York: Wiley 1959