T. Kawai et al., EFFECTS OF METHANOL ON STYRENE METABOLISM AMONG WORKERS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED AT LOW CONCENTRATIONS, Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology, 28(4), 1995, pp. 543-546
A survey was conducted in the second half of a work week on 39 male wo
rkers who were occupationally exposed to styrene in combination with m
ethanol and methyl acetate during the production of plastic buttons. T
ime-weighted average exposure during an 8-h shift to styrene (Sty-A) a
nd methyl acetate was monitored by carbon cloth-equipped personal samp
lers and to methanol by water-equipped ones. Urine samples were collec
ted near the end of the shift and analyzed for mandelic (MA-U) and phe
nylglyoxylic acids (PhGA-U) by HPLC. Geometric mean styrene concentrat
ion was 12.4 ppm (mu g/g) with the maximum of 46 ppm, whereas the valu
es for methanol and methyl acetate in combination were 23.5 ppm and 22
9 ppm, respectively. The relationship of MA-U and PhGA-U with Sty-A wa
s examined by linear regression analysis. The equations for the regres
sion lines were compared with the results from a previous survey (Iked
a et al. 1983) in which workers were exposed only to styrene, and the
methods employed were identical with that in the present study. The co
mparison showed no evidence to suggest that styrene metabolism is supp
ressed by coexposure to methanol and methyl acetate at low concentrati
ons below the current occupational exposure limit of 200 ppm.