Quantitative and qualitative investigation of respiratory exposure to volatile organic compounds in a shoe polish manufacturing industry
Irtiqa Imini Pishgiri Masdumiyat (Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention),
Vol. 12 No. 2 (1403),
16 September 2025
,
Page 110 - 97
https://doi.org/10.22037/iipm.v12i2.46147
Abstract
Background and Aim: Organic solvents are widely used in various industrial sectors and processes, which are a direct or indirect source of volatile organic compounds in the workplace. The shoe polish production process is one of the processes in which chemical solvents containing VOCs are used, due to their low vapor pressure, significant amounts of toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, and other volatile compounds are released during the process. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to these pollutants harms human health due to their major role in the central nervous system and the body's immune and reproductive systems. As a result, this study aims to identify the VOCs resulting from the shoe polish production process and assess the risk of respiratory exposure of workers in such industries.
Materials and Methods: To assess the risk of exposure of employees to volatile organic compounds, environmental monitoring of TVOCs was carried out in 14 stations by direct reading method using the Phocheck Tiger device. then; According to NIOSH method 2549, the type of released compounds was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and based on NIOSH method 1501, the target pollutants were quantified using a gas chromatography device with a flame ionization detector.
Results: After analyzing the samples; 46 organic compounds were identified, among which the concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and trimethylbenzene were determined as 0.33 ppm, 1.8 ppm, 1.33 ppm, 4.14 ppm, and 12.88 ppm, respectively. Considering the similar toxicological effect of the mentioned pollutants, the exposure to the mixture of compounds was determined to be more than the permissible limit. Among them, trimethylbenzene and benzene with TWA/STD ratios of 1.84 and 0.94 had the largest share.
Conclusion: The results indicate that workers in shoe polish production industries are exposed to significant levels of VOCs, especially BTEX compounds. Therefore, appropriate control measures should be taken to prevent health and safety hazards.
Please cite this article as:
Yadegar Z, Panahi D, Farhang Dehghan S. Quantitative and Qualitative Investigation of Respiratory Exposure to Volatile Organic
Compounds in a Shoe Polish Manufacturing Industry. Irtiqa Imini Pishgiri Masdumiyat. 2024: Vol 12: No 2: 97-110. https://doi.
org/10.22037/iipm.v1403i12.46147
- Occupational exposure
- Volatile Organic Compounds
- Shoe polish
How to Cite
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