Traffic-related Occupational Exposures to PM_2.5, CO, and VOCs in Trujillo, Peru

Abstract

A traffic-related exposure study was conducted among 58 workers (drivers, vendors, traffic police, and gas station attendants) and 10 office workers as controls in Trujillo, Peru, in July 2002. PM_2.5 was collected, carbon monoxide (CO) was measured, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were sampled and analyzed. Newspaper vendors had the highest full-shift CO exposures (mean ± SD: 11.4 ± 8.9 ppm), while office workers had the lowest (2.0 ± 1.7 ppm). Bus drivers had the highest full-shift PM_2.5 exposures (161±8.9 pg/m³), while gas station attendants (64 ± 26.5 pg/m³) and office workers (65 ± 8.5 μg/m³) were the lowest. Full-shift benzene/toluene/ethylbenzene/xylene exposures (BTEX) among gas station attendants (111/254/43/214 μg/m³) were much higher than those among van and taxi drivers. Several of the traffic-related occupational exposures studied were elevated and are of occupational health concern.

Keywords:

• occupational exposure
• carbon monoxide
• fine particulate matter
• volatile organic compounds
• traffic
• developing countries