ABSTRACT
Objective@#To apply GBZ/T298-2017 "Guidelines for occupational health risk assessment of chemicals in the workplace" to conduct an occupational health risk assessment of 2-butoxyethanol exposure in a printing enterprise, in order to protect the laborers' health.@*Methods@#Conducted a worksite survey of occupational health include data collection, site investigation, determination 2-butoxyethanol in workplace air and raw and auxiliary material, determination 2-butoxyacetic acid in urine after shift from May 17 to 24, 2017, using the above results, conducting 2-butoxyethanol occupational health risk assessment.@*Results@#Concentrations of 2-butoxyethanol in the workplace air ranged from 1.2-30.8 mg/m3. Concentrations of 2-butoxyaceticacid in urine ranged from 35.5 mg/L to 563.3 mg/L. The printing shop with the highest concentration of air in the workplace in the enterprise was a medium risk for 2-butoxyethanol occupational health risks, and the binding workshop printer was a low risk for 2-butoxyethanol occupational health risks. The occupational health risk of 2-butoxyethanol in the print shop was medium.@*Conclusion@#Occupational health risks of 2-butoxyethanol for companies is medium, which should be included in the evaluation of routine occupational hazards and provide more targeted recommendations based on the action levels.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Studies on the hematologic toxicity of ethylene glycol ethers in humans are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between exposure to solvents (containing 2-butoxyethanol and 2-ethoxyethanol) and hematological effects. METHODS: Thirty-four screen-printing workers who were exposed to 2-butoxyethanol and 2-ethoxyethanol and 37 non-exposed clerical workers were selected using data from the health care facilities that provided regular health screening services. Student's t-tests and Pearson's chi-square tests were used to compare differences in hematological parameters between the exposed and the control groups. A multivariate analysis was performed using the multiple logistic regression models to adjust for other variables. RESULTS: The chi-square test showed the reticulocyte percentages and corrected reticulocyte counts to be significantly higher in the exposed group. The t-tests showed a significant increase in white blood cell counts, reticulocyte percentages, and corrected reticulocyte count (i.e., reticulocyte index) in the exposed group, with p-values of 0.002, 0.004, and 0.002, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed the odds ratio for the corrected reticulocyte counts to be 16.30 for the exposed group, when compared with that of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to 2-butoxyethanol and 2-ethoxyethanol was significantly associated with reticulocytosis, necessitating the implementation of preventive measures for workers prone to occupational exposure to ethylene glycol ethers.