• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.53-67
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• 2000

Coke-oven workers are regularly exposed to coke oven emissions (COE), which consist primarily of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and volatile organic components. This study assessed the exposure of coke-oven workers to COE and PAH. The results of this study are as follows. 1. Among the 136 samples on coke-oven workers 33.1% exceeded the occupational exposure limit to the Coal Tar Pitch Volatiles ($0.2mg/m^3$) established by the Korean Ministry of Labor and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(ACGIH). 2. The coke-oven workers were classified into twelve job categories and there was statistically significant difference among the airborne concentrations of COE and PAH in twelve job categories(p<0.001). 3. There was no significant difference of the airborne concentrations of COE between NIOSH method and OSHA method applied. 4. There was a significant correlation between the airborne concentrations of total PAH and COE(r=0.733, p<0.01). 5. The percentage of naphthalene in total PAH was 55.9% and the highest among those of 16 PAHs. There was a significant correlation between the airborne concentrations of naphthalene and total PAH(r=0.90, p<0.01) and this study recommends naphthalene as the index component of PAH.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7105-7112
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated oxidative stress and tumor marker levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 136 coke oven workers and in 60 control subjects, and evaluated the correlation between oxidative stress and tumor marker levels. Questionnaires on basic demographic information were also administered. Significant differences in employment time and percentages of alcohol drinkers were observed between the control and exposed groups. PAH exposure was assessed using urinary 1-hydroxy-pyrene (1-OHP) levels and was found to be significantly higher in workers than in the controls. Significant differences (P<0.001) of MDA, GST, LDH, NSE, Cyfra21-1, and of SCC and TNF-a (P<0.0001 and P<0.05, P<0.001, respectively) levels were observed among controls and coke-oven workers, except for bottom coke oven workers. Associations between age and risk of increased TNF-a, smoking and increased GST activities, and drinking with increased MDA concentrations, were marginal (P=0.055, P=0.048, P=0.057, respectively). The association between smoking with MDA (P=0.004), NSE (P=0.005), SCC (P=0.004) andTNF-a (P<0.001), and drinking with TNF-a levels was significant (P=0.012). In addition, a significant positive correlation between oxidative stress and tumor markers was found in the present study. These results suggest that a synergistic increase of oxidative stress and tumor markers induced by PAHs may play a role in toxic responses for PAHs in coke oven workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.264-278
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• 1997

The average level of coke oven emissions in the work site was $0.04mg/m^3$, which was below the permissible exposure level($0.2mg/m^3$). The average level of 1-OH-pyrene in the urine of the wokers was $0.745{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine which is far below the BEI($2.3{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine). Correlation between airborne COE in working environment and urinary 1-OH-pyrene concentration was statistically significant. These results explain that exposure level by biological monitoring is much higher than that by environmental monitoring. The effect of hygienic measures for reducing internal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was studied in 25 coke-oven workers. Their 1-OH-pyrene levels increased by $0.77{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine, while working with ordinary protective measures. The average levels of the same workers with extra hygienic measures increased by $0.34{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine. The average increase of the urinary 1-OH-pyrene concentration over the 5-day work week was 56.3%($0.43{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine) lower when extra hygienic measures were taken(p=0.0001).

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.99-104
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• 2017

Background: Workers laboring in steel industries in tropical settings with high ambient temperatures are subjected to thermally stressful environments that can create well-known risks of heat-related illnesses and limit workers' productivity. Methods: A cross-sectional study undertaken in a steel industry in a city nicknamed "Steel City" in Southern India assessed thermal stress by wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and level of dehydration from urine color and urine specific gravity. A structured questionnaire captured self-reported heat-related health symptoms of workers. Results: Some 90% WBGT measurements were higher than recommended threshold limit values ($27.2-41.7^{\circ}C$) for heavy and moderate workloads and radiational heat from processes were very high in blooming-mill/coke-oven ($67.6^{\circ}C$ globe temperature). Widespread heat-related health concerns were prevalent among workers, including excessive sweating, fatigue, and tiredness reported by 50% workers. Productivity loss was significantly reported high in workers with direct heat exposures compared to those with indirect heat exposures ($x^2=26.1258$, degrees of freedom = 1, p < 0.001). Change in urine color was 7.4 times higher among workers exposed to WBGTs above threshold limit values (TLVs). Conclusion: Preliminary evidence shows that high heat exposures and heavy workload adversely affect the workers' health and reduce their work capacities. Health and productivity risks in developing tropical country work settings can be further aggravated by the predicted temperature rise due to climate change, without appropriate interventions. Apart from industries enhancing welfare facilities and designing control interventions, further physiological studies with a seasonal approach and interventional studies are needed to strengthen evidence for developing comprehensive policies to protect workers employed in high heat industries.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2699-2705
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• 2014

This study was to undertaken to investigate the impacts of AhR, CYP1A1, GSTM1 genetic polymorphisms on the R273G mutation in exon 8 of the tumor suppressor p53 gene (TP53) among polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposed to coke-oven workers. One hundred thirteen workers exposed to PAH and 82 control workers were recruited. We genotyped for polymorphisms in the AhR, CYP1A1, GSTM1, and TP53 R273G mutation in blood by PCR methods, and determined the levels of 1-hydroxypyrene as PAH exposure marker in urine using the high pressure liquid chromatography assay. We found that the distribution of alcohol users and the urinary excretion of 1-OHP in the exposed workers were significantly higher than that of the control workers (p=0.004, p<0.001, respectively). Significant differences were observed in the p53 genotype distributions of smoking subjects (p=0.01, 95%CI: 1.23-6.01) and PAH exposure (p=0.008, 95%CI: 1.24-4.48), respectively. Further, significant differences were observed in the p53 exon 8 mutations for the genetic polymorphisms of Lys/Arg for AhR (p=0.02, 95%CI: 0.70-15.86), Val/Val for CYP1A1 (p=0.04, 95%CI: 0.98-19.09) and null for GSTM1 (p=0.02, 95%CI: 1.19-6.26), respectively. Our findings indicated that polymorphisms of PAH metabolic genes, such as AhR, CYP1A1, GSTM1 polymorphisms may interact with p53 genetic variants and may contribute to PAH related cancers.