Health Risk Assessment of Asphalt Workers’ Exposure to Benzo-α-pyrene

Subject Areas : Journal of Chemical Health Risks

Jamshid  Rahimi ¹ (Department of Occupational Health, School of public health, Alborz University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Alborz, Iran)
Kamaladin  Abedi ² (Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran)
Hossein  Ebrahimi ³ (Air Pollution Research Center, Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran)
Rasoul  Yarahmadi ⁴ (Air Pollution Research Center, Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran)
Iraj  Alimohammadi ⁵ (Department of Occupational Health, School of public health, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran)
Shahram  Vosoughi ⁶ (Department of Occupational Health, School of public health, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran)
Seted Hosein  Tabatabaei ⁷ (Department of Occupational Health, School of public health, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran)

Received: 2020-12-25 Accepted : 2021-07-05 Published : 2022-09-01

Keywords: PAHs, Health risk assessment, Benzo-α-pyrene, Asphalt workers,

Abstract :

Benzo-α-pyrene is one of the most dangerous pollutants during working on asphalt, which is a carcinogenic. This study was aimed to perform health risk assessment of asphalt workers exposure to Benzo-α-pyrene using respiratory air monitoring data. The standard method of NIOSH 5515 (National Institutes of safety and health) was used for sampling and analyzing the Benzo-α-pyrene in the respiratory air. The sampling was done using polytetrafluoroethylene filter (PTFE) and XAD-2 sorbent tube (naphthylisocyanate) and the obtained samples were analyzed by Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID). The results of the study show that the highest and lowest concentrations belong to the functions of finisher assistance (0.058±0.011 mg m-3) and roller driver (0.042±0.015 mg/m3), respectively. The statistical test showed that the concentration of Benzo-α-pyrene in the respiratory air of different tasks is significantly different from each other (p <0.001). The results of the health risk assessment showed that all tasks are at a high risk level. In addition, comparison of the results of the concentration of Benzo-α-pyrene in the respiratory air and the assessment of health risk indicated that merely monitoring the concentration of the pollutants in the breathing air and comparing it with the allowable limits of exposure are not appropriate and reliable criteria to ensure the absence of disease or health problems.

References:

1. (NIOSH) N. I. f. O. S. a. H. 2000. Hazard review: health effects of occupational exposure to asphalt. Cincinnati, OH, US Department of Health and Human Services.

2. Agostini M., Ferro G., Burstyn I., de Vocht F., Portengen L., Olsson A., Boffetta P., Kromhout H., Hansen J., Lassen C.F., 2013. Does a more refined assessment of exposure to bitumen fume and confounders alter risk estimates from a nested case-control study of lung cancer among European asphalt workers? Occup Environ Med. 70 (3), 195-202.

3. Risch H., Burch J., Miller A., Hill G., Steele R., Howe G., 1988. Occupational factors and the incidence of cancer of the bladder in Canada. Br J Ind Med. 45(6), 361-367.

4. Kamangar F., Strickland P.T., Pourshams A., Malekzadeh R., Boffetta P., Roth M.J., Abent C.C., Saadatian-Elahi M., Rakhshani N., Brennan P., 2005. High exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may contribute to high risk of esophageal cancer in northeastern Iran. Anticancer Res. 25(1B), 425-428.

5. Partanen T., Boffetta P., 1994. Cancer risk in asphalt workers and roofers: Review and meta‐analysis of epidemiologic studies. Am J Ind Med. 26 (6), 721-740.

6. Cirla P.E., Martinotti I., Buratti M., Fustinoni S., Campo L., Zito E., Prandi E., Longhi O., Cavallo D., Foà V., 2007. Assessment of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in Italian asphalt workers. J Occup Environ Hyg. 4(S1), 87-99.

7. Cancer I.A.F.R.O., 1987. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. An Updating of IARC Monographs, 1 to 42.

8. Monarca S., Pasquini R., Scassellati Sforzolini G., Savino A., Bauleo F., Angeli G., 1987. Environmental monitoring of mutagenic/carcinogenic hazards during road paving operations with bitumens. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. 59(4), 393-402.

9. Kamal A., Cincinelli A., Martellini T., Malik R.N., 2015. A review of PAH exposure from the combustion of

biomass fuel and their less surveyed effect on the blood parameters. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 22 (6), 4076-4098.

10. Yilmaz Ö.H., Bal C., Neşelioglu S., Büyükşekerci M., Gündüzöz M., Eren F., Tutkun L., Yilmaz F.M., 2016. Thiol/disulfide homeostasis in asphalt workers. Arch Environ Occup Health. 1-5.

11. Araki Y., Tang N., Ohno M., Kameda T., Toriba A., Hayakawa K., 2009. Analysis of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in gas/particle PAHses separately collected by a high-volume air sampler equipped with a column packed with XAD-4 resin. J Health Sci. 55(1), 77-85.

12. Arbabi M., Nasseri S., Mesdaghinia A., Rezaie S., Naddafi K., Omrani G., Yunesian M., 2004. Survey on physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of PAH-contaminated soils in Iran. J Environ. Health Sci Eng. 1(1), 30-37.

13. Atkinson R., Arey J., 1994. Atmospheric chemistry of gas-PAHse polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: formation of atmospheric mutagens. Environ Health Perspect. 102 (Suppl 4), 117.

14. Burstyn I., Randem B., Lien J.E., Langard S., Kromhout H., 2002. Bitumen, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and vehicle exhaust: exposure levels and controls among Norwegian asphalt workers. Ann Occup Hyg. 46(1), 79-87.

15. Aghaei H., Kakooei H., Shahtaheri S., Omidi F., Arefian S., Azam K., 2014. Evaluating Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbons in respiratory zone of the asphalt workers in Tehran city.  Journal of Health and Safety at Work. 6(4), 31-40.

16. Jones K., Grimmer G., Jacob J., Johnston A., 1989. Changes in the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon content of wheat grain and pasture grassland over the last century from one site in the UK. Sci Total Environ. 78, 117-130.

17. Yari S., Fallah Asadi A., Varmazyar S., 2016. Assessment of semi-quantitative health risks of exposure to harmful chemical agents in the context of carcinogenesis in the latex glove manufacturing industry. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 17(S3), 205-211.

18. Posniak M., 2005. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the occupational environment during exposure to bitumen fumes. Pol. J Environ Stud. 14(6), 809-815.

19. Lin Y.C., Lee W.J., Chen S.J., Chang-Chien G.P., Tsai P.J., 2008. Characterization of PAHs exposure in workplace atmospheres of a sinter plant and health-risk assessment for sintering workers. J Hazard Mater. 158(2), 636-643.

20. Tsai P.J., Shieh H.Y., Lee W.J., Lai S.O., 2001. Health-risk assessment for workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a carbon black manufacturing industry. Sci. Total Environ. 278(1), 137-150.

21. Boström C.E., Gerde P., Hanberg A., Jernström B., Johansson C., Kyrklund T., Rannug A., Törnqvist M., Victorin K., Westerholm R., 2002. Cancer risk assessment, indicators, and guidelines for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the ambient air. Environ Health Perspect. 110(Suppl 3), 451.