Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (한국환경보건학회지)

Korean Society of Environmental Health (한국환경보건학회)
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The Application of an EU REACH Protocol to the Occupational Exposure Assessment of Methanol: Targeted Risk Assessment

메탄올 작업장 노출 평가에의 EU REACH 프로토콜 적용: Targeted Risk Assessment

  • Ra, Jin-Sung (Regulatory Chemical Analysis and Risk Assessment Center, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology) ;
  • Song, Moon Hwan (Regulatory Chemical Analysis and Risk Assessment Center, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology) ;
  • Choe, Eun Kyung (Regulatory Chemical Analysis and Risk Assessment Center, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology)
  • 나진성 (한국생산기술연구원 환경규제기술센터) ;
  • 송문환 (한국생산기술연구원 환경규제기술센터) ;
  • 최은경 (한국생산기술연구원 환경규제기술센터)
  • Received : 2021.10.08
  • Accepted : 2021.10.20
  • Published : 2021.10.31
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Abstract

Background: The European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals' Targeted Risk Assessment (ECETOC TRA) tool has been recognized by EU REACH as a preferred approach for calculating worker health risks from chemicals. Objectives: The applicability of the ECETOC TRA to occupational exposure estimation from industrial uses of methanol was studied by inputting surveyed and varied parameters for TRA estimation as well as through comparison with measured data. Methods: Information on uses of methanol was collected from seven working environment monitoring reports along with the measured exposure data. Input parameters for TRA estimation such as operating conditions (OCs), risk management measures (RMMs) and process categories (PROCs) were surveyed. To compare with measured exposures, parameters from the surveyed conditions of ventilation but no use of respiratory protection were applied. Results: PROCs 4, 5, 8a, 10, and 15 were assigned to ten uses of methanol. The uses include as a solvent for manufacturing sun cream, surfactants, dyestuffs, films and adhesives. Methanol was also used as a component in a release agent, hardening media and mold wash for cast products as well as a component of hard-coating solution and a viscosity-controlling agent for manufacturing glass lenses. PROC 8a and PROC 10 of a cast product manufacturer without LEV (local exhaust ventilation) and general ventilation as well as no respiratory protection resulted in the highest exposure to methanol. Assuming the identical worst OCs and RMMs for all uses, exposures from PROC 5, 8a, and 10 were the same and the highest followed by PROC 4 and 15. The estimation resulted in higher exposures in nine uses except one use where measured exposure approximated exposures without RMMs. Conclusions: The role of ECETOC TRA as a conservative exposure assessment tool was confirmed by comparison with measured data. Moreover, it can guide which RMMs should be applied for the safe use of methanol.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 2020년 정부(과학기술정보통신부)의 재원으로 국가과학기술연구회 창의형 융합연구사업(No. CAP-17-01-KIST Europe)의 지원을 받아 수행되었습니다.

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