Occupational Exposure to Styrene Vapor and Determining Risks of Health Consequences in Petrochemical Industry Workers

Styrene (C₆H₅CH=CH₂) is known as one of the volatile organic substances produced or used in petrochemical industries. Exposure to this chemical compound can thus lead to respiratory diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate occupational exposure to styrene vapor and to determine the risks of its health consequences in petrochemical industry workers through a quantitative method.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a total number of 150 samples from 50 employees were studied using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 1501 method. The samples were then analyzed by the Varian CP-3800 chromatograph. Upon determining exposure to styrene vapor, the risk assessment of the health consequences of styrene in the workers in the given industry was evaluated via the relationships established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US/EPA).

According to the results, the polybutadiene latex unit (PBL) was observed with the highest average exposure (0.44 mg.(kg-day)-1). Therefore, the top predictors of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were valued 0.44 and 0.71, respectively, for the PBL unit. Given the lowest average exposure (0.0012 mg.(kg-day)-1) in the drying unit, the prediction revealed the most moderate carcinogenic (0.1 ×10-5) and non-carcinogenic risks (2×10-3) for the same employees.

Overall, the health risk was higher than the permissible limit in the petrochemical industry studied, especially in the PBL unit. Therefore, it is recommended to make use of artificial ventilation, notably the local type, in addition to the natural ones.