![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
Environmental exposure of workers to organic solvents are routinely evaluated. Field samples are adsorbed on charcoal tubes and analysed by conventional GC or headspace (HS) GC. In the validation process of analytical protocols by HS-GC, it was observed that analysis of alkyl acetates yielded non-reproducible results when benzyl alcohol was used as desorbing solvent. Further studies by HS-GC with capillary column and GC-MS demonstrated a transesterification process of alkyl acetates. Reaction rate is dependent on steric hindrance of the acetate and on volatility of the newly formed alcohol. The presentation will describe some ways to obtain accurate and reproducible results. Data on environmental exposures of workers has been cumulated over two years in various industries involved in painting operations. Average worker exposure to aliphatic acetates will be discussed as well as other organic contaminants.