Distribution of air and serum PCDD/F levels of electric arc furnaces and secondary aluminum and copper smelters.
Metallurgical processes, such as smelting, can generate organic impurities such as organic chloride chemicals, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). The objective of this study was to elucidate the serum PCDD/F levels of 134 workers and ambient air levels around electric arc furnaces (EAF), secondary copper smelters and secondary aluminum smelters (ALSs) in Taiwan. The highest serum PCDD/F levels were found in the ALSs workers (21.9 pg WHO-TEQ/g lipid), with lower levels in copper smelter workers (21.5 pg WHO-TEQ/g lipid), and the lowest in the EAF plant workers (18.8 pg WHO-TEQ/g lipid). This was still higher than the levels for residents living within 5 km of municipal waste incinerators (14.0 pg WHO-TEQ/g lipid). For ambient samples, the highest ambient air PCDD/F level was in the copper smelters (12.4 pg WHO-TEQ/Nm(3)), with lower levels in ALSs (7.2 pg WHO-TEQ/Nm(3)), and the lowest in the EAF industry (1.8 pg WHO-TEQ/Nm(3)). The congener profiles were consistent in serum and in air samples collected in the copper smelters, but not for ALSs and EAF. In secondary copper smelters, the air PCDD/Fs levels might be directly linked to the PCDD/Fs accumulated in the workers due to the exceedingly stable congener pattern of the PCDD/F emission.
Lee
Ching-Chang
CC
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Medical College, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
Shih
Tung-Seng
TS
Chen
Hsiu-Ling
HL
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D000535:Aluminum; D003300:Copper; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008669:Metallurgy; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D013624:Taiwan
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D003300:Copper; D000535:Aluminum