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Environmental and biological monitoring of exposures to VOCs in a petrochemical complex in Iran

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Abstract

Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can cause cancers in human. This study aimed to measure the concentration of four VOCs including benzene, styrene, ethylbenzene, and phenol in ambient air of a petrochemical complex in Iran. Also, their urinary metabolites including phenol, mandelic acid (MA), and phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA) in the workers were monitored. Urine samples were collected before and after the 8-h workshift according to the NIOSH methods. They were analyzed by a gas chromatograph coupled with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). High levels of the ambient VOCs were detected in the units of recovery and olefin. The levels of ethylbenzene and phenol were less than the guidelines suggested by NIOSH and ACGIH. However, in some cases, the amounts of benzene and styrene were higher than the guidelines. Excellent positive correlations were observed between VOCs exposure and their urinary metabolites (r 2 > 0.90), except for benzene (r 2 = 0.26). Our finding verified that urinary biomarkers can be applied as bioindicators for ambient exposure to VOCs. There is a risk of exposure to high levels of the pollutants in some of the sites, and it is necessary to adopt some preventive measures to reduce health risk.

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Notes

  1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

  2. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

  3. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Research and Development Office of the Petrochemical Company, Iran, for the financial support of the project. Also, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Environmental Health is acknowledged for analytical assistances.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Hezar Jerib St., Isfahan, Iran

    Yaghoub Hajizadeh & Iman Parseh

  2. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Hakimeh Teiri

  3. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Keshavarz boulevard, Tehran, Iran

    Shahrokh Nazmara

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  1. Yaghoub Hajizadeh
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  2. Hakimeh Teiri
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Correspondence to Iman Parseh.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Hajizadeh, Y., Teiri, H., Nazmara, S. et al. Environmental and biological monitoring of exposures to VOCs in a petrochemical complex in Iran. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 6656–6667 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-1045-4

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