OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO ORGANIC-SOLVENTS DURING PAINT STRIPPING AND PAINTING OPERATIONS IN THE AERONAUTICAL INDUSTRY

The exposure of workers to methylene chloride and phenol in an aeronau tical workshop was measured during stripping of paint from a Boeing B 747. Methylene chloride exposure was measured during two work days by personal air sampling, while area sampling was used for phenol. During paint stripping operations, methylene chloride air concentrations ran ged from 299.2 mg/m3 (83.1 ppm) to 1888.9 mg/m3 (524.7 ppm). The expos ures to methylene chloride calculated for an 8-1. work day ranged from 86 mg/m3 (23.9 ppm) to 1239.5 mg/m3 (344.3 ppm). In another aeronauti cal workshop, exposure to organic solvents, especially ethylene glycol monoethylether acetate (EGEEA), was controlled during the painting of an Airbus A 320. The external exposure to solvents and EGEEA was meas ured by means of individual air sampling. The estimation of internal e xposure to EGEEA was made by measuring its urinary metabolite, ethoxya cetic acid (EAA). Both measurements were made during the course of 3 d ays. The biological samples were taken pre- and post-shift. During pai nting operations, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, n-butyl alcohol, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, n-butyl acetate, ethylbenzene, xylen es and EGEEA were detected in working atmospheres. For these solvents, air concentrations ranged from 0.1 ppm to 69.1 ppm. EGEEA concentrati ons ranged from 29.2 mg/m3 (5.4 ppm) to 150.1 mg/m3 (27.8 ppm). For bi ological samples, the average concentrations of EAA were 108.4 mg/g cr eatinine in pre-shift and 139.4 mg/g creatinine in post-shift samples. Despite the fact that workers wore protective respiratory equipment d uring paint spraying operations, EEA urinary concentrations are high a nd suggest that percutaneous uptake is the main route of exposure for EGEEA. The introduction of new paint stripping processes in the aerona utical industry could help to reduce future exposure to methylene chlo ride.