Occupational Health Risk Assessment on Toluene Exposure among Workers from Different Job Positions at Gasoline Stations

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the occupational health risk on exposure to toluene of workers in different occupations and to study the relationship between job positions or occupations and the risk level of toluene exposure of workers at gasoline stations. Data was collected by interviewing the adverse health effects, toluene concentration in the working environments and hippuric acid, toluene exposure biomarker, in urine were detected and were used for health risk assessment. The results show that the toluene concentration levels in the working environments of fueling workers, cashiers, and tanker drivers were found mostly at level 1 (Non detectable-200 ppb). The concentration of hippuric acid in the urine of workers found that there were 2 workers had exceeded the biological index of the hippuric acid level (>1,600 mg / g Cr). By assessing occupational health risks from the concentration of toluene in the working environments and from the concentration of hippuric acid, it was found that most of all three position of workers were higher risk than acceptable, which was level 2 (low risk). The relationship between working environments health risks of toluene and health risks from hippuric acid was significantly in fuel tanker drivers (p-value = 0.04). In order to ensure safety for workers, there should be health surveillance which are more comprehensive, and training about safe work with the monitoring of biomarker in order to reduce health risk and effects for workers who had worked at gasoline stations and involved of toluene exposure.