Risk assessment of occupational exposure to bitumen fumes in the road paving and roofing industries
详细信息 查看全文
文摘
The risk to health of pavers and roofers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bitumen fumes was assessed using ambient, biological and biological effect monitoring. Occupationally exposed subjects (16 pavers and 13 roofers) and non occupationally PAH-exposed controls (15 manual workers and six office workers) were monitored. Exposure of pavers and roofers was low in comparison with other industries where exposure to PAHs occurs, but significantly higher than the non occupationally PAH-exposed groups. There was a significant correlation between airborne PAH-exposure indices and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene only in the pavers. A significant correlation was also found between mean sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency and external PAH-exposure expressed as the percentage of exposed subjects in individual groups. The risk to health of pavers and roofers resulting from exposure to bitumen fumes, and consequently PAHs, could be further reduced.