Annals of Occupational Hygiene Advance Access originally published online on December 21, 2006
Annals of Occupational Hygiene 2007 51(2):153-160; doi:10.1093/annhyg/mel079
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Determination of Occupational Exposure to Alkanolamines in Metal-Working Fluids
1 Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Hämeenkatu 10 FIN-20500 Turku, Finland
2 Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 aA FIN-00250 Helsinki, Finland
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +358 304747530; fax: +358 304747555; e-mail: maj-len.henriks-eckerman{at}ttl.fi
Overall exposure to alkanolamines in metal-working fluids (MWFs) in machine shops was studied by determining alkanolamines in air samples and in rinse-off samples from the hands of machinists. Methods for collecting airborne alkanolamines and alkanolamines absorbed to the skin of the hands were developed and tested. The exposure measurements were carried out in nine machine shops. After a 2 h working period the dominant hand of 37 machinists was rinsed with 200 ml of 20% isopropanol for 1 min in a plastic bag. Personal air samples were also collected during the 2 h working period onto acid-treated glass fibre filters. The filter samples were desorbed with methanol and analysed by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS). The rinse-off samples were also analysed for alkanolamines by LC-MS. The median air concentration of monoethanolamine (EA) was 57 µg m3, diethanolamine (DEA) 64 µg m3 and triethanolamine (TEA) 6 µg m3. The workers' overall exposure to alkanolamines was estimated by calculating the amount in inhaled air and the amount on the skin. The median amount of EA on the skin of the dominant hand was 9-43 times the median amount in inhaled air during 2 h exposure. The corresponding ratio for DEA was 100 and for TEA 170. According to this study the exposure to alkanolamines occurs mainly through the skin. EA was the only alkanolamine with a noticeable inhalation uptake compared to the skin uptake. Total exposure to MWFs may be reduced by reducing skin exposure. The hand rinsing method can be used to assess the efficiency of protective gloves.
Keywords: alkanolamines dermal exposure filter sampling hand rinsing inhalation liquid chromatography mass spectrometry
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
C. N. Craciunescu, M. D. Niculescu, Z. Guo, A. R. Johnson, L. Fischer, and S. H. Zeisel Dose Response Effects of Dermally applied Diethanolamine on Neurogenesis in Fetal Mouse Hippocampus and Potential Exposure of Humans Toxicol. Sci., January 1, 2009; 107(1): 220 - 226. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Lillienberg, A. Burdorf, L. Mathiasson, and L. Thorneby Exposure to Metalworking Fluid Aerosols and Determinants of Exposure Ann. Hyg., October 1, 2008; 52(7): 597 - 605. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||

