The cross-sectional study of the health effects of occupational exposure to carbon disulfide in a Chinese viscose plant

This article presents results of carbon disulfide exposure assessment in a Chinese viscose rayon factory and represents the cross-sectional study begi nning phase of the occupational epidemiological project. The authors measur ed external exposure levels to carbon disulfide at a Chinese viscose rayon factory and monitored results as internal exposure indexes by testing urine samples of workers exposed to carbon disulfide levels. The rate at which c arbon disulfide is metabolized by exposed subjects was demonstrated by 2-th io-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) concentrations in urine of exposed subjects, which was studied to determine best time points for internal exp osure sampling. Carbon disulfide concentrations in the air of the workplace were analyzed with gas chromatography with flame photometric detector (GC- FPD); presence of TTCA in urine samples of subjects was determined using a modified high-performance liquid chromatography method. Kinetics of TTCA ex cretion was studied by analysis at different time points during and after e xposure of workers to carbon disulfide. A total of 155 personal samples wer e obtained. Carbon disulfide concentration at staple viscose hall was found to be 13.72 +/- 1.12 mg/m(3) in terms of geometric mean and geometric stan dard deviation. Carbon disulfide concentration at filament spinning hall wa s found to be 20.05 +/- 133 mg/m(3). TTCA values of subjects at staple spin ning hall were 1.18 +/- 0.43 and 1.07 +/- 0.38 mg/g creatinine for subjects working at filament spinning hall. The best time for TTCA sampling is at t he end of the exposure-working shift. (C) 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.