Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (한국산업보건학회지)

Korean Industrial Hygiene Association (한국산업보건학회)
권호 표지

Quantitative Assessment Strategy for Determining the Exposures to Volatile Organic Chemicals in Chemistry Laboratories

화학실험실의 휘발성유기화합물 노출에 대한 정량적 평가전략

  • Byun, Hyaejeong (Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University) ;
  • Ryu, Kyongnam (Department of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Yoon, Chungsik (Department of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Park, Jeongim (Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Soon Chun Hyang University)
  • 변혜정 (서울대학교 보건환경연구소) ;
  • 류경남 (서울대학교 보건대학원 환경보건학과) ;
  • 윤충식 (서울대학교 보건대학원 환경보건학과) ;
  • 박정임 (순천향대학교 환경보건학과)
  • Received : 2010.11.05
  • Accepted : 2011.02.21
  • Published : 2011.03.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Working in a research laboratory means exposure to a wide range of hazardous substances. Several studies indicated that laboratory workers, especially working with chemicals, might have an increased risk of certain cancers. However, exposure assessment data in laboratory settings are scarce. This study was performed to examine several approaches for quantitatively assessing the exposure levels to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) among workers in chemistry laboratories. The list of 10 target VOCs, including ethanol, acetone, 2-propanol, dichlormethane, tetrahydrofuran, benzene, toluene, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, was determined through self-administered questionnaire for six chemistry research laboratories in a university, a government-funded research institute, or private labs. From September to December 2008, 84 air samples were collected (15 area samples, 27 personal time weighted samples, 42 personal task-basis short-term samples). Real time monitors with photo ionization detector were placed during the sampling periods. In this study, benzene was observed exceeding the action levels, although all the results were below the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value (TLV). From the air sampling results, we concluded that (1) chemicals emitted during experiments could directly affect to neighbor office areas (2) chemical exposures in research laboratories showed a wide range of concentrations depending on research activities (3) area samples tended to underestimate the exposures relative to personal samples. Still, further investigation, is necessary for developing exposure assessment strategies specific to laboratories with unique exposure profiles.

Keywords

References

  1. 고용노동부. 화학물질 및 물리적 인자의 노출기준, 노동부고시제2010-44호. 2010
  2. 교육과학기술부. 연구실 안전환경 조성에 관한 법률. 법률 제7425호, 2009.
  3. 김명신, 일부 대학화학실험실에서의 유기용매 노출에 관한 연구, 서울대학교 보건대학원 석사학위논문, 1998.
  4. 유계묵, 노영만, 한진구, 원정일. 일부 산업보건관련 기관의 분석실험실 안전보건에 관한 실태와 대책. 한국산업위생학회지 2000;10(2):150-164
  5. 이한주. 일부 대학 화학실험실의 안전보건 실태조사. 서울대학교 보건대학원 석사학위논문, 1996.
  6. 하주현, 신용철, 이현석, Samuel Y. Paik, 이광용, et al. 국내 정부 출연연구기관 및 대학교 실험실 공기 오염물질 농도 및 환기시스템 평가. 한국산업위생학회지 2010;20(1): 63-69
  7. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents & Biological Exposure Indices. ACGIH, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2010.
  8. Apostoli P, Lucchini R, Alessio L. Proposal of a method for identifying exposure to hazardous chemicals in biomedical laboratories. Clinica Chemica Acta 1996;256:75-86 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-8981(96)06416-9
  9. Bullock WH, Ignacio JS. A strategy for assessing and managing occupational exposures, 3rd ed. American Industrial Hygiene Association Exposure Assessment Strategies Committee. 2006. p51-52
  10. Haruo H, Toshiaki G. Nobutoyo N. Hidetaka S. Toru T. Shigeyuki K. Koji M. Evaluation of the control banding methodcomparison with measurement-based comprehensive risk assessment. J Occup Health 2007;49:482-492 https://doi.org/10.1539/joh.49.482
  11. Henn SA, Utterback DF, Waters KM, Markey AM, Tankersley WG. Task- and time-dependent weighting factors in a retrospective exposure assessment of chemical laboratory workers. J Occup Environ Hyg 2007;4:71-79 https://doi.org/10.1080/15459620601109407
  12. Hoar SK, Pell S. A retrospective cohort study of mortality and cancer incidence among chemists. J Occup Med 1981;23(7): 485-494 https://doi.org/10.1097/00043764-198107000-00016
  13. Kubale T, Hiratzka S, Henn S, Markey A, Daniels R, et al. A cohort mortality study of chemical laboratory workers at Department of Energy Nuclear Plants. Am J Ind Med 2008;51:656-667 https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20601
  14. Chang H-Y, Lin Y-M, Hsu P-C, and Guo YL. Reduction of sperm motility in a male laboratory worker exposed to solvents; A case study. Environ Health Perspect 2001;109(7):753-756 https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.01109753
  15. Maher KV, Defonso LR. A historical cohort study of mortality among chemical researchers. Archives of Environmental Health 1986;41(2) March/April
  16. International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Human, IARC, France, 2010
  17. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH Method No. 1400, 1300, 1005, 1609, 1501, 1500, 1457, 1003. 1994. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/NIOSH/nmam/pdfs/
  18. Sharam J, Gurvich R, Kneshet Y. Cancer incidence among laboratory workers in biomedical research and routine laboratories in Israel: Part I-The cohort study. Am J Ind Med 2003a;44:600-610 https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.10311
  19. Sharam J, Gurvich R, Kneshet Y. Cancer incidence among laboratory workers in biomedical research and routine laboratories in Israel: Part II-Nested case-control study. Am J Ind Med 2003b;44:611-626 https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.10312
  20. Taskinen H, Kyyonen P, Hemminki K, Hoikkal M, Lajunen K, Lindbohm M-L, Laboratory work and pregnancy outcome, J Occup Med 1994;36(3):311-319 https://doi.org/10.1097/00043764-199403000-00008
  21. Walrath J, Li FP, Hoar SK, Mead MW, and Fraumeni JF. Causes of death among female chemists, AJPH 1985;75(8):883-885 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.75.8.883
  22. Wennborg H, Bonde JP, Stenbeck M, Olsen J. Adverse reproduction outcomes among employees working in biomedical research laboratories, Scand J Work Environ Health 2002;28:5-11 https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.640
  23. Yu-Mei T, Louis D, and Thomas S. Exposure assessment of laboratory students. App Occup Environ Hyg 1999;14(8):530-538 https://doi.org/10.1080/104732299302521