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Use of Urinary Biomarkers to Characterize Occupational Exposure to Btex in Healthcare Waste Autoclave Operators Publisher Pubmed



Rafiee A1 ; Delgadosaborit JM2, 3 ; Gordi E4 ; Quemerais B5 ; Kazemi Moghadam V6 ; Lu W7 ; Hashemi F8 ; Hoseini M9
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Barcelona, Spain
  3. 3. Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
  4. 4. Young Researchers and Elite Club, Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran
  5. 5. Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
  6. 6. Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
  7. 7. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
  8. 8. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
  9. 9. Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Environmental Health, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Source: Science of the Total Environment Published:2018


Abstract

Urinary benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) can be used as a reliable biomarker of exposure to these pollutants. This study was aimed to investigate the urinary BTEX concentration in operators of healthcare waste (HCW) autoclaves. This cross-sectional study was conducted in selected hospitals in Tehran, Iran between April and June 2017. Twenty operators (as the case group) and twenty control subjects were enrolled in the study. Personal urine samples were collected at the beginning and end of the work shift. Urinary BTEX were measured by a headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A detailed questionnaire was used to gather information from subjects. Results showed that the median of urinary benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-p xylene, and o-xylene levels in the exposed group were 3.26, 3.36, 0.84, 3.94 and 4.48 μg/L, respectively. With the exception of ethylbenzene, subjects in the exposed group had significantly higher urinary BTEX levels than control group (p < 0.05). Urinary BTEX concentrations in the exposed case group were 2.5-fold higher than in the control group. There was a significant relationship between the amount of generated waste per day and the urinary BTEX in the exposed group. Smoking status and type of autoclave used were also identified as predictors of urinary BTEX concentrations. The healthcare waste treatment autoclaves can be considered as a significant BTEX exposure source for operators working with these treatment facilities. The appropriate personal protection equipment and control measures capable in reducing BTEX exposure should be provided to HCW workers to reduce their exposures to BTEX. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.
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