Oxidative stress biomarkers in exhaled breath of workers exposed to crystalline silica dust by SPME-GC-MS

Background: Silicosis is considered an oxidative stress related disease that can lead to the development of lung cancer. In this study, our purpose was to analysis of volatile organic compounds [VOCs] in the exhaled breath of workers exposed to silica containing dust and compare peak area of these compounds with silicosis patients and healthy volunteers [smokers and nonsmokers] groups

Methods: In this cross sectional case-control study, the exhaled breath of 69 subjects including workers exposed to silica [n=20], silicosis patient [n=4], healthy non-smoker [n=20] and healthy smoker [n=25] were analyzed. We collected breath samples using 3-liter Tedlar bags

The VOCs were extracted with solid phase micro-extraction [SPME] and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry [GC-MS]

Personal exposure intensity was measured according to NIOSH 7601 method. Respiratory parameters were measured using spirometry

Results: Seventy percent and 100% of the exposures to crystalline silica dust exceeded from 8 h TWA ACGIH TLVs in case and positive control groups, respectively

A significant negative correlation was found between dust exposure intensity and FEVi/FVC when exposure and positive control groups were studied in a group [r[2]=-0.601, P<0.001]

Totally, forty VOCs were found in all exhaled breath samples. Among the VOCs, the mean of peak area acetaldehyde, hexanal, nonanal, decane, pentad cane, 2-propanol and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone were higher in exhaled breath of the workers exposed to silica and silicosis patient compared to the healthy smoker and nonsmoker controls. In some cases the difference was significant [P<0.05]

Conclusions: The analysis of some VOCs in exhaled breath of subjects is appropriate biomarkerto determine of exposure to silica

Investigation of qualitative and quantitative of volatile organic compounds of ambient air in the Mahshahr petrochemical complex in 2009

Volatile organic compounds [VOCs] are human-made chemicals widely spread in the environment and produced by petrochemical industries and petroleum refineries. The aim of this research was to evaluate the distribution of VOCs in the ambient air of Mahshahr Petrochemical Complex, Iran. This study was a cross-sectional research performed in 2009. We used the method numbered 1501, 1500, 2000, 1003, 1005, 1010, 2555, 1300 and 1400 of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH] for the sampling and analysis of compounds in the air. A total of 204 samples were analyzed using Gas Chroma-tography-Mass Spectrometry [GC-MS] and a Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector [GC-FID]. The mean of concentrations of the pollutants in the winter is less than in summer and a strong variation occurred among the sampling site, attributed to the change in meteorology. The results indicated high concentrations of benzene in most factories. In addition, a significant difference occurred between the concentrations of the compounds in the ambient air inside and outside the factories in both seasons [P<0.050]. It seems that the atmospheric conditions of the workplace affect the spreading of the pollutants, causing the concentration of the pollutants in the summer to be higher than in the winter. In addition, the frequent prevailing wind speed in the region plays a major role in the distribution of the pollutants from Mahshahr Petrochemical factories

Determination of benzene, toluene and xylene [BTX] concentrations in air using HPLC developed method compared to gas chromatography

A new method for analysis of benzene, toluene, and xylene [BTX] using High Performance Liquid Chromatography-UV detection [HPLC-UV] is described and compared to the gas chromatography [GC] method. A charcoal adsorption tube connected to a small pump was used to obtain samples from an atmosphere chamber standard. Samples were extracted with methanol and analyzed by HPLC-UV. Chromatography was isocratic in a mobile phase consisting of water-methanol [30-70]. The flow rate was set at 1 ml/min. The analyses were completely separated and were quantified using both methods. The results demonstrated no statistically significant differences between BTX concentrations between the two analytical methods with a correlation coefficient of 0.98-0.99. The GC method provided higher sensitivity than HPLC, but the HPLC determination of BTX were applicable to real samples because its sensivity was lower than the thershold limit recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist [ACGIH] for an 8-hour workday