Hazardous airborne carbonyls emissions in industrial workplaces in China

Abstract

Many carbonyl species (e.g., formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein) are air toxins and they pose public healt risks. The scope of this investigation covers 21 types of carbonyls based on samples collected from 14 different workplaces. Findings of the study will not only provide a comprehensive assessment of indoor air quality with regard to workers' healthy and safety, but also establish a theoretical foundation for future formulation of intervention strategies to reduce occupational carbonyl exposures. No similar study has been carried out either in Hong Kong or the Mainland of China.

Risk Assessment of Indoor Formaldehyde and Other Carbonyls in Campus Environments in Northwestern China

“…Our results prove that exposure to formaldehyde in the workplace is a realistic safety and occupational health concern. For residential units, high R values were also determined at the bedroom in the staff apartment either newly decorated or having been occupied for one year, indicating that the refurbishing materials and wooden furniture could industrial workplaces (Ho et al, 2013b) male 2.01 × 10 -5 -2.37 × 10 -4 2.41 × 10 -6 -5.13 × 10 -5 female 2.68 × 10 -5 -3.16 × 10 -4 3.12 × 10 -6 -6.84 × 10 -5 campus in Southern China (Ho et al, 2014) male 0.16 × 10 -4 -6.37 × 10 -4 0.84 × 10 -7 -0.83 × 10 -4 female 0.11 × 10 -4 -4.56 × 10 -4 0.59 × 10 -7 -0.59 × 10 -4 campus in Northern China (this study) male 4.49 × 10 -6 -4.22 × 10 -4 2.15 × 10 -6 -2.02 × 10 -4 female 1.30 × 10 -6 -4.36 × 10 -5 6.23 × 10 -7 -2.09 × 10 -5 create a significant health impact on occupants. It is critical to point out that the cancer risks for the customers or students who use the indoor micro-environments (e.g., W3-W6) on campus could not be accurately assessed due to their low exposure frequency and short exposure duration.…”

“…Further short-term personal exposure tests will be conducted in our future studies. Table 5 compares the R values for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in various workplaces or residential units in China , Ho et al, 2013b. Those values were estimated with the same assumptions suggested by U.S.EPA.…”

Glyoxal Damages Human Aortic Endothelial Cells by Perturbing the Glutathione, Mitochondrial Membrane Potential, and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathways

“…Glyoxal (GX), the smallest dialdehyde, is the most widely used retarding agent in the synthesis of chemicals, such as novel bio-adhesives for wood [1][2][3], or those from the environment [4]. In humans, a high dietary glycemic load leading to insulin resistance causes alterations in glucose and lipid metabolism, leading to production of excess aldehydes, including GX and methylglyoxal, which are associated with the progression of certain diseases, including cardiovascular disorders [5,6].…”

Flavorings-Related Lung Disease: A Brief Review and New Mechanistic Data

“…34,35 In addition, these compounds can be produced during food processing and occupational exposures are possible. 36 -38 As with diacetyl, methylglyoxal and glyoxal are highly reactive with cellular constituents and are particularly reactive with the arginine residues of proteins. 25,39 -41 The associated protein modifications have been implicated in aging and a broad spectrum of disease processes.…”

“…While exposures to α-dicarbonyl compound vapors are best documented in the food-processing industry, they can occur in other occupational and environmental settings. 37,38,48,49 For example, common cleaning products can react with ozone to produce α-dicarbonyl compounds that include glyoxal and methylglyoxal, suggesting that these can be indoor air pollutants. 50 Indeed, glyoxal and methylglyoxal are measurable in some environmental atmospheres and can be atmospheric contaminants derived from anthropogenic and biogenic sources.…”