Revista de Petróleo e Biotecnologia Ambiental

Abstrato

BTX Exposure Assessment in a Group of South African Petroleum Refinery Workers

Boitumala Dabola, Pulenge Matatieli, Boitumala Kgarabe

Post-shift urine samples from 21 males and 8 females were received over a period of four years (2010 to 2013 inclusive) from one petroleum refinery in South Africa. Biomarkers of exposure to Benzene, Toluene and Xylene (BTX) were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (phenol and o-cresol) and high performance liquid chromatography (methylhippuric acid).

About 40% of workers were found to be randomly overexposed to toluene, with 17% exhibiting higher than the biological exposure index. No difference was observed in exposure with regard to age and gender (p>0.05), except in 2012 where females were more exposed to benzene than males (p=0.003). Friedman’s ANOVA showed that over the four years of monitoring, the workers were exposed to variable levels of BTX (p<0.05). Random individual overexposure to toluene and an anomaly for benzene were noted.