Styrene exposure during the manufacturing of reinforced fiberglass pipe
Considering the large number of employees exposed to airborne styrene during the manufacturing of reinforced fiberglass pipe and the absence of appropriate information to define airborne styrene exposure and the resulting levels of urinary mandelic acid, it was necessary that these parameters be evaluated in an actual industrial setting in order to appropriately monitor and control health hazards in the work place. Styrene measurements were collected at eight work stations over a 5-year period at the world's largest manufacturer of styrenated reinforced fiberglass pipe. Pre- and post-shift urinary mandelic acid was measured for 16 employees for 3-consecutive days. The data obtained were statistically analyzed to determine the mean styrene exposure at each work station and the relationship between airborne styrene and pre-and post-shift urinary mandelic acid. The results of this study indicated that both the pre- and post-shift urinary mandelic acid measurements can be utilized to confirm human exposure to styrene. Post-shift measurements are more reflective of daily variations in styrene exposure, whereas pre-shift urinary mandelic acid was found to correlate best to the long-term airborne styrene concentrations (r = 0.787). The prediction equations of NIOSH and ACGIH for the arithmetic mean airborne styrene concentration from post-shift mandelic acid were not valid for the low levels of styrene exposure and urinary mandelic acid concentrations found in this study. Significant changes in the post-shift to pre-shift urinary mandelic acid concentrations were observed.
- Research Organization:
- Oklahoma Univ., Oklahoma City (USA). Health Sciences Center
- OSTI ID:
- 5112732
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 88-262-2209, Egg Harbor Yacht, Inc. , Egg Harbor City, New Jersey
Validation of a neurobehavioral test system. Final report
Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
STYRENE
HEALTH HAZARDS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EQUATIONS
FIBERGLASS
FORECASTING
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
MANDELIC ACID
PIPES
URINE
AIR POLLUTION
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
HAZARDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY ACIDS
MATERIALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
WASTES
560306* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)
500200 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)