title: Exposure of aircraft maintenance technicians to organophosphates from hydraulic fluids and turbine oils: a pilot study.
abstract: Hydraulic fluids and turbine oils contain organophosphates like tricresyl phosphate isomers, triphenyl phosphate and tributyl phosphate from very small up to high percentages. The aim of this pilot study was to determine if aircraft maintenance technicians are exposed to relevant amounts of organophosphates. Dialkyl and diaryl phosphate metabolites of seven organophosphates were quantified in pre- and post-shift spot urine samples of technicians (N=5) by GC-MS/MS after solid phase extraction and derivatization. Pre- and post shift values of tributyl phosphate metabolites (dibutyl phosphate (DBP): median pre-shift: 12.5 μg/L, post-shift: 23.5 μg/L) and triphenyl phosphate metabolites (diphenyl phosphate (DPP): median pre-shift: 2.9 μg/L, post-shift: 3.5 μg/L) were statistically higher than in a control group from the general population (median DBP: <0.25 μg/L, median DPP: 0.5 μg/L). No tricresyl phosphate metabolites were detected. The aircraft maintenance technicians were occupationally exposed to tributyl and triphenyl phosphate but not to tricresyl phosphate, tri-(2-chloroethyl)- and tri-(2-chloropropyl)-phosphate. Further studies are necessary to collect information on sources, routes of uptake and varying exposures during different work tasks, evaluate possible health effects and to set up appropriate protective measures.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bochum, Germany. Electronic address: bt.schindler@googlemail.com.
authors.forename: Birgit Karin
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koslitz
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Horst Christoph
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Broding
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brüning
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bünger
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000652:urine*; D000401:Aircraft; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D009821:Oils; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000652:urine*; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D005411:Flame Retardants; D009821:Oils; D010755:Organophosphates
keywords: Human biomonitoring; Organophosphate flame retardants; TCP; Tributyl phosphate; Tricresyl phosphate; Triphenyl phosphate