title: Organic solvent use in research institutions in Japan.
abstract: In 2008-2009, types of organic solvents used and air-borne vapor concentrations were surveyed in 1909 laboratories in four large research institutions in accordance with current regulations. The results were classified into 5 groups in terms of research fields (agriculture, biology, medicine, natural science, and technology and engineering) and evaluated after the regulatory rules. Laboratory air analyses by gas chromatography identified 5 and 20 solvents out of 7 Group 1 solvents and 40 Group 2 solvents, respectively; 10 solvents were used in more than 10% of the laboratories in each of the 5 research fields. The use of unmixed single solvent appeared to be unique in research laboratories in contrast to use of solvent mixtures in industrial facilities for production. Laboratories of technology and engineering fields used more various organic solvents more frequently, whereas use of xylenes appeared to be more specific to laboratories of bio-medical fields. Among the commonly used solvents, chloroform was the leading solvent to induce poorer results in regulatory classification (i.e., Class 3 in Administrative Control Classes) typically when applied in high pressure liquid chromatography which was too voluminous to be accommodated in a local exhaustion chamber.
authors.affiliation: Kyoto Industrial Health Association (Main Office), 67 Nishinokyo-Kitatsuboicho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ukai
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Samoto
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moriguchi
authors.forename: Sonoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakuragi
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D007564:Japan; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D012997:Solvents / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents