Solid phase microextraction as a short-term sampling technique for BTEX occupational exposure.
Solid phase microextraction (SPME) has been widely used for many years in various applications, such as environmental and water samples, food and fragrance analysis, or biological fluids. The aim of this study was to suggest the SPME method as an alternative to conventional techniques used in the evaluation of worker exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). Polymethylsiloxane-carboxen (PDMS/CAR) showed as the most effective stationary phase material for sorbing BTEX among other materials (polyacrylate, PDMS, PDMS/divinylbenzene, Carbowax/divinylbenzene). Various experimental conditions were studied to apply SPME to BTEX quantitation in field situations. The uptake rate of the selected fiber (75 microm PDMS/CAR) was determined for each analyte at various concentrations, relative humidities, and airflow velocities from static (calm air) to dynamic (> 200 cm/s) conditions. The SPME method also was compared with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health method 1501. Unlike the latter, the SPME approach fulfills the new requirement for the threshold limit value-short term exposure limit (TLV-STEL) of 2.5 ppm for benzene (8 mg/m(3)).
Institut universitaire romand de Sante au Travail (Institute for Work and Health)-University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Patrick.Schupfer@hospvd.ch
Patrick Y
PY
Schüpfer
Cong Khanh
CK
Huynh
D000392:Air Movements; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D002606:Charcoal; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D016014:Linear Models; D009314:National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S.; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D002606:Charcoal; D001554:Benzene