محمد علی منصوری نیا

Adverse effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been known, including general as well as carcinogenic effects of benzene. The aim of this study was to evaluate occupational exposure to BTEX compounds in the painting unit of an automotive industry and subsequently health risk assessment of exposure to these compounds.
Material and In this cross-sectional study which was conducted in the painting plant of an automotive industry, including cabin painting, pre-painting and painting sections, BTEX compound were identified as the main contaminants by analyzing samples by GC-MS from those sections,. In the next step, NIOSH1501 method was used to measure and analysis the BTEX compounds. EPA method was applied to assess the risk of cancer and non-cancer. Sample analysis indicated that benzene concentration in painting cabin was higher than occupational exposure limits provided by Iranian Environmental and Occupational Health Center. Life time cancer risk for benzene per 1000 has been reported 10, 3.63 and 1.27 in the painting cabin, pre-painting salons, respectively. For ethyl benzene it was 2.5m 1.8 and 38.0, respectively in above-mentioned sections. Also, the non-cancer risk for benzene and xylene in the painting cabin and pre-painting sections were higher than the recommended allowable level. Regarding the high level of cancer risk values obtained for benzene and ethylbenzene in the studied units, and also high values of non-cancer risk for benzene and xylene, it is recommended to conduct a biological exposure of the workers and improve existence control systems using an advanced engineering control to control the exposures to those compounds