Biological monitoring of workers exposed to acetone in acetate fibre plants

Biomonitoring of Exposures to Solvents and Metals in Electronics Manufacturing Facilities in Batam, Indonesia

Concerns about chemical exposure in the electronics manufacturing industry have long been recognized, but data are lacking in Southeast Asia. We conducted a study in Batam, Indonesia, to evaluate chemical exposures in electronics facilities, using participatory research and biological monitoring approaches. A convenience sample of 36 workers (28 exposed, 8 controls) was recruited, and urine samples were collected before and after shifts. Five solvents (acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, benzene, and xylenes) were found in 46%-97% of samples, and seven metals (arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, tin, antimony, lead, and vanadium) were detected in 60%-100% of samples. Biological monitoring and participatory research appeared to be useful in assessing workers' exposure when workplace air monitoring is not feasible due to a lack of cooperation from the employer. Several logistical challenges need to be addressed in future biomonitoring studies of electronics workers in Asia in factories where employers are reluctant to track workers' exposure and health.

Gases and organic solvents in urine as biomarkers of occupational exposure: a review

A brief review of urine analysis in studies of occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds and gases is provided. Analysis of exhaled breath for volatile compounds does not have a long history in occupational medicine. A number of studies has been undertaken since the 1980s, and the methods are well enough accepted to be put forward as biological equivalents of threshold limit values (TLVs) for some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as acetone; methanol; methyl ethyl ketone (MEK); methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK); tetrahydrofurane; dichloromethane. In the last 20 years many scientific articles have shown that the urinary concentrations of unchanged solvents are correlated with environmental exposure and could be used for biological monitoring. The use of urine analysis of unchanged solvents in occupational applications is not yet widespread. Nonetheless, in the short time since its application, a number of important discoveries has been made, and the future appears bright for this branch of analysis. In this paper, the basic concepts and methodology of urine analysis are briefly presented with a critical revision of the literature on this matter. The excretion mechanisms of organic solvents in urine are discussed, with regard to biological variability, and the future directions of research are described.

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for acetone

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for acetone and to predict the kinetic behaviour of acetone in the human body with that model.

METHODS

The model consists of eight tissue groups in which acetone can be distributed: the mucous layer of the inhaled air tract, the mucous layer of the exhaled air tract, a compartment for gas exchange (alveolus of the lung), a group of blood vessel rich tissues including the brain and heart, a group of tissues including muscles and skin that have low perfusion rates, a group of fatty tissues, an organ for metabolism (liver), and a compartment for urinary excretion (kidney). A mucous layer in the model is only the outermost layer of the mucus lining the wall of the air tract during inhalation and exhalation. To check the relevance of the model, the simulated results were compared with the experimental data. Next, simulation was conducted by changing the volume of the mucous layer and the respiratory rate to clarify the effect of these variables. Finally, simulation of an occupational situation was performed.

RESULTS

With an appropriate value for the volume of mucous layer, the simulated acetone concentrations in arterial blood, end exhaled air, urine, and fatty tissue were found to agree well with the experimental data. The volume of mucous layer and rate of respiration were critical for the appropriate simulation. The simulated occupational situation fitted the observed regression line in field studies quite well. The simulation also enabled predictions to be made about the characteristic kinetics for water soluble solvents.

CONCLUSION

The model is useful for understanding and explaining the kinetics of acetone.