title: Biological monitoring standards for industrial toluene exposure recommended for South Africa.
abstract: Coal combustion is used in many industrial processes in South Africa. The exposure of workers and the absence of international biological monitoring standards for toluene created a problem. A cross-sectional study on 100 workers indicated that the biological threshold for ortho-cresol:creatinine ratio reference value of < 1 mg/g could presently be used as a reference for non-industrial human exposure while the < 2 mg/g rate is for worker exposure in an industrial environment at a coal combustion plant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Medical University of Southern Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kocks
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D003031:Coal; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine*; D003408:Cresols / Q000652:urine*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D014050:Toluene
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D003031:Coal; D003408:Cresols; D014050:Toluene; D003404:Creatinine; C034047:2-cresol