以呼氣樣本評估強化玻璃製造廠作業勞工甲醇暴露

Methanol Exposure Measured by Using Breath Samples for Workers in a Tempered Glass Manufacturing Factory

曾琇玲(Shiou-Ling Zeng)

指導教授 ： 吳俊德

長榮大學/健康科學學院/職業安全與衛生研究所/碩士(2009年)

https://doi.org/10.6833/CJCU.2009.00054

摘要

本研究針對強化玻璃廠膠合作業勞工4名，隨機選取6個工作天，進行空氣暴露以及生物檢體樣本(包括：呼氣、唾液及尿液)收集。並且於未暴露任何有機溶劑的強化玻璃工廠內，收集勞工25名的呼氣樣本及唾液樣本，以作為甲醇呼氣及唾液背景值。暴露測定項目包含：(1)以吸附管和直讀式儀器測定8小時空氣甲醇濃度；(2)定量工作前後尿液樣本甲醇濃度；(3)測定工作期間每小時唾液樣本甲醇濃度；(4)以直讀式儀器測定呼氣樣本甲醇濃度。所有採集的空氣、尿液和唾液樣本以氣相層析質譜儀配合使用頂空進樣器進行分析。主要研究目的為：(1)評估呼氣甲醇測定值分別與空氣、尿液和唾液甲醇測定值的相關程度；(2)比較呼氣與唾液甲醇暴露測定值的平均濃度與變異狀況；(3)實驗室評估甲醇皮膚暴露其呼氣與唾液甲醇測定值的相關程度。從暴露測定資料綜合分析結果發現：HOBO與矽膠管測得的空氣甲醇濃度存在顯著相關性(r=0.47, p<0.01)，勞工呼氣及HOBO空氣甲醇濃度測定值則並未存在顯著相關性(r=0.22, p=0.14)，此可能與勞工徒手使用甲醇清潔玻璃造成皮膚吸收暴露，干擾兩者相關程度有關；呼氣與尿液樣本甲醇測定值的相關程度接近統計上顯著邊緣(r=0.39, p=0.075)，由於甲醇在尿液的半衰期短，因此下班前尿液測定不適合用來評估8小時時量加權平均暴露。於皮膚甲醇暴露實驗測定呼氣及唾液樣本甲醇濃度發現：呼氣與唾液樣本甲醇濃度測定值呈現顯著的相關性(r=0.81, p<0.01)。由現場及實驗室皮膚暴露測定資料分析，顯示甲醇皮膚吸收不容忽視，建議未來對於甲醇暴露研究，需要針對皮膚吸收暴露部分做更深入探討。

關鍵字

甲醇、呼氣樣本、唾液樣本、暴露測定

並列摘要

In this study methanol exposure of 4 gluing workers in a tempered glass manufacturing factory was measured for 6 workdays. Air measurements and biological specimens including exhaled breath, saliva and urine were collected. In order to estimate the background level of methanol in a human body, 25 workers without any organic solvent exposure were recruited to provide their breath and urine samples for methanol measurements. The exposure measurements included: (1) to monitor the airborne concentration of methanol in the work environment by using Figaro TGS-822 sensor with a HOBO data logger; (2) to quantify the amount of methanol in the pre- and post-shift urine samples; (3) to measure the methanol concentration of the salivary sample taken in each hour during a workday; (4) to measure the methanol concentration of the breath sample taken in each hour during a workday. All the collected air, urine and breath samples were analyzed by using gas chromatography /mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with a headspace system. The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate the association between the breath methanol concentration and the methanol concentration respectively measured from the air, urine and salivary samples; (2) to compare the mean and variability of methanol concentrations measured from breath and salivary samples; (3) to evaluate the correlation between the methanol concentrations measured by breath and salivary samples based on experiments of skin absorption of methanol. The results of exposure data analyses found that the methanol concentrations measured by HOBO and silica gel tubes showed a significant association (r=0.47, p<0.01); the methanol concentrations measured from breath samples and HOBO air measurements did not have a significant association (r=0.22, p=0.14). This insignificant association was probably due to the interference of methanol skin absorption through the bare hands when the workers used methanol to clean the surface of glass. The correlation between the methanol concentrations measured from breath and urine samples was close to the margin of statistical significance (r=0.39, p=0.075). Because the half-life of methanol in urine is short, it is not suitable to evaluate 8-hour time-weighted average methanol exposure by measuring a post-shift urine sample. From the methanol measurements of breath and salivary samples in the experiments of methanol skin absorption, it was found that the methanol measurements showed a significant correlation (r=0.81, p<0.01). The results of data analysis of both field exposure measurements and skin exposure experiments indicated that the skin absorption should not be ignored for methanol exposure assessment. It is required to have more in-depth exploration of skin absorption of methanol exposure in future studies.

並列關鍵字

methanol, breath sample, salivary exposure, exposure measurements.

參考文獻

鄭皓元 (2008) 以唾液樣本進行合成皮作業勞工二甲基甲醯胺短時暴露測定, 長榮大學職業安全與衛生研究所碩士論文。

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劉玫君 (2009) 以唾液樣本進行強化玻璃製造廠作業勞工甲醇短時暴露測定, 長榮大學職業安全與衛生研究所碩士論文。

American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) (1991) Methyl alcohol. Documentation of threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. Cincinnati, Ohio.

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