Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Research Article

Reticulocytosis in screen-printing workers exposed to 2-butoxyethanol and 2-ethoxyethanol: Seng-Ho Song, Seong-Kyu Kang, Won-Jun Choi, Kyeong Min Kwak, Dong-Hoon Lee, Dyuk-Yoon Kang, Sang-Ha Lee; Ann Occup Environ Med 2017;29:54. Published online November 7, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-017-0210-z

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.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Hepcidin is not essential for mediating testosterone's effects on erythropoiesis
W. Guo, P. J. Schmidt, M. D. Fleming, S. Bhasin
Andrology.2020; 8(1): 82. CrossRef
Cleaning workers’ exposure to volatile organic compounds and particulate matter during floor polish removal and reapplication
Joonas Ruokolainen, Marko Hyttinen
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.2019; 16(10): 685. CrossRef

71 View
1 Download
3 Web of Science
2 Crossref

Original Article

Urinary 2-Ethoxyacetic Acid for Biological Monitoring of Workers Exposed to 2-Ethoxyethyl Acetate: Kwang Jong Kim, Sang Gyu Sung, Jung Chul Kim, Hae Joon Kim; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1999;11(2):276-286. Published online June 30, 1999; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1999.11.2.276

Abstract PDF: This study was carried out to evaluate the association between urinary 2-ethoxyacetic acid(EAA) as a new indicator of biological monitoring for the workers exposed to 2-etho xyethyl acetate(EEA) and independent variables such as the EEA exposure concentration, exposure dose, total EEA absorption amount, work duration, and alcohol consumption. In this study the subjects were the total of 160 drawn from 75 workers who were occupationally exposed to EEA and 85 workers who were not. The results were as follows: 1. In the electronic painting workplace, EEA exposure concentration in the breathing zone of the spray workers was the highest, as showed 2. 88ppm(0. 01-15.1 ppm) and cases of exceeded threshold limit value(TLV = 5ppm) were 12.0% among the total of 75 exposed workers. 2. Four workers(5. 4%) of exposed workers indicated more than 50.0 mg/g creatinine of urinary EAA, the geometric mean urinary EAA in exposed workers was 2.49 mg/g creatinine, and was higher than that of workers who were not exposed. 3. In the spray workers of auto products, the geometric mean of urinary BAA was the highest showing 5.76 mg/g creatinine. 4. The difference of urinary BAA by EEA exposure level was significant and the correlation coefficient between urinary BAA and EEA in air was the highest showing 0. 53O(p < 0.01). In conclusion, the amount of urianry EAA proved to be a good parameter for biological monitoring of workers exposed to EEA.

21 View
0 Download

Original Article

A Study on the Hematologic Changes of Workers Exposed to Mixed Organic Solvents: Choong Ryeol Lee, Cheol In Ryu; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1997;9(4):549-564. Published online December 31, 1997; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1997.9.4.549

Abstract PDF: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the hematological changes of workers exposed to mixed organic solvents and to search the organic solvent that bring out these changes. The study participants were 1,605 workers, consisting 1,088 workers (male 989, female 99) exposed to mixed organic solvents and 517 non-exposed workers (male 431, female 86). The authors analyzed the results of complete blood count and differential count of leukocytes of all the workers and examined all of the material safety data sheets of substances with which they dealt and the results of their working environmental surveys during the last 3 years. The results were as follows: 1. The mean values of complete blood count in workers exposed to mixed organic solvents were lower than that of non-exposed workers in WBC, RBC, hemoglobin and hematocrit in cases of male and RBC, hemoglobin and hematocrit in cases of female, but the mean value of platelet count in male exposed workers and WBC count in female exposed workers were higher than those of non-exposed workers. 2. The distribution of differential count of leukocytes showed no difference between exposed workers and non-exposed workers. 3. The correlation coefficients between age and duration of employment and WBC showed statistically a positive value and that between age and duration of employment and RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit showed a statistically negative value in cases of male exposed to mixed organic solvents. But in cases of female there was no statistical correlation between them. 4. In cases of male the proportions of workers with subnormal levels of WBC, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet according to the standard of classification were high or than those of non-exposed workers. The proportions of exposed workers were 3.6 %, 18.6 %, 5.3 %, 32.7 % and 1.4 % respectively and those of non-exposes workers were 2.8 %, 10.7 %, 2.1 %, 13.9 % and 0.2 % respectively. 5. In cased of female the proportion of workers with subnormal levels of RBC, hemoglobin and hematocrit according to the standard of classification were higher than those of non exposed workers. The proportion of exposed workers were 42.4 %, 55.6 % and 41.4 % respectively and those of non-exposed workers were 10.5 %, 11.6 % and 8.1 % respectively. 6. The number of substances with which workers exposed to mixed organic solvents dealt were about 500, and 22 organic solvents such as xylene, toluene, isopropyl alcohol, 2-ethoxyethanol and 2-ethoxy ethyl acetate were main components of substances according to the material safety data sheet and working environmental surveys during the last 3 years. The authors suspect 2-ethoxyethanol and 2-ethoxy ethyl acetate of the organic solvents, which bring out the hematological changes of workers exposed to mixed organic solvents. As a result of this study, the authors confirmed the hematological changes of workers exposed to mixed organic solvents and recommend : strict management of working environment, working time and the protective equipments of workers exposed to mixed organic solvents.

22 View
0 Download

First
Prev
Page of 1
Next
Last

Search