Volatile organic compounds in carpet manufacturing plants: Exposure levels and probabilistic risk assessment using Monte-Carlo simulations

Abstract

Air pollution due to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the workplace has been identified as a global problem. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the levels and the risk of occupational exposure of workers to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in carpet manufacturing plants. BTEX sampling in the workers’ breathing zones was performed according to occupational safety and health standard methods using a personal sampling pump and analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The concentrations of all compounds were lower than the occupational exposure limits. However, the estimated lifetime cancer risks and the values of hazard quotient (95th percentile) for benzene and ethylbenzene suggest potential carcinogenic (2.97 additional cases per 10,000 employees exposed and 1.48 additional cases per 1,000 employees exposed) and non-carcinogenic (11.3–5.46 times greater than threshold risk level set by the US EPA) risks. Moreover, on the basis of the sensitivity analysis carried out using the Monte-Carlo simulation method, the concentration is the main parameter affecting significantly both cancer and non-cancer risks. This study is the first effort to provide information on health risk assessment of BTEX in the breathing zone of the employees in carpet manufacturing plants in the world and may be useful for potential plans of health risk management and reduction.

Keywords:

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• human health risk-assessment
• occupational exposure
• Monte-Carlo simulation

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their special thanks to all workers and managers of carpet manufacturing plants for cooperation.

Disclosure statement

The authors declared no potential conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

Ethics approval was given by the Research Ethics Committee of Kashan University of Medical Sciences (IR.KAUMS.NUHEPM.REC.1401.004).

Additional information

Funding

The study is supported by Kashan University of medical sciences.