The urinary hydroxy-metabolites of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene showed low exposure to diesel-derived PAHs; however, it was higher in exposed workers than in control group. Urinary PAH monohydroxy-metabolites measured in this study did not correlate with the PAHs in the air samples, reported earlier, in 2002 and 2003.

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Exposure to MTBE, TAME and Aromatic Hydrocarbons during Gasoline Pump Maintenance, Repair and Inspection: Sinikka VAINIOTALO, et al. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, FinlandThe exposure of gasoline pump repairers and inspectors to gasoline was studied at service stations and repair shops in Finland in April-June 2004. The average air temperature ranged from 7°C to 16°C and wind speed from 2.5 to 7 m/s. The gasoline blends contained mixtures of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME), the total content of oxygenates being 11-12%. The content of benzene was <1%. Breathing zone air was collected during the work task using passive monitors. The mean sampling period was 4.5 h. The mean TWA-8 h concentrations for MTBE, TAME, hexane, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene were 4.5, 1.3, 0.55, 0.23, 2.2, 0.26 and 1.1 mg/m 3 , respectively. None of the individual benzene concentrations exceeded the binding limit value for benzene (3.25 mg/m 3 ). The sum concentration of MTBE and TAME in urine was between 8.9 and 530 nmol/l in individual post-shift samples. The individual sum concentrations of the metabolites tertbutyl alcohol and tert-amyl alcohol collected the following morning after the exposure ranged from 81 to 916 nmol/l. All individual results were below corresponding biological action levels. Exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons was estimated from post-shift urine samples, with benzene showing the highest concentration (range 4.4 and 35 nmol/l in nonsmokers). The exposure levels were similar to those measured in previous studies during unloading of tanker lorries and railway wagons. The results indicated a slightly higher exposure for inspectors, who calibrated fuel pump gauges at the service stations, than for pump repairers. No significant skin exposure occurred during the study. (J Occup Health 2006; 48: 347-357)

The method applied here--based on diffusive sampling of 3-ethenylpyridine--proved adequate even at low environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) levels. The easy-to-use sampler is thus well suited to detect whether a non-smoking room or area is actually smoke-free or contaminated by smoke drifting from a smoking area. Only a third of the restaurants participating in this study achieved low concentrations of 3-ethenylpyridine in their non-smoking areas. In these cases, the non-smoking area was usually strictly separated from the smoking area. Despite the ban on smoking at bar counters in most restaurants, the drifting smoke was usually a problem if the counter was located in the middle of the smoking area. However, exposure to ETS behind the bar desk was reduced if the counter was located in a non-smoking area.