Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of various biological parameters for monitoring of workers exposed to methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Fifty male workers from a large magnetic videotape factory participated in this study. Personal air samples were collected using 3M organic vapor monitors and analysed for MEK by gas chromatography with flame ionisation detector (FID). 10 mL of urine; blood (1 mL) and exhaled air were also collected at the end of an 8-hour workshift. The headspace GC method was applied for measurement of urinary and blood MEK. MEK in expired air was analysed directly by using a GC/FID.
The correlation coefficients (r) between environmental MEK and all other biological parameters measured show significant positive relationships. The r for environmental MEK and urine MEK was 0.84; for blood 0.73 and for breath 0.64. The correlation coefficients between blood and urine was 0.72; blood and breath was 0.88 and urine and breath 0.60. These findings suggest that measurements of unmetabolised MEK in blood, exhaled air and urine can be used for biological monitoring of MEK exposure. Nevertheless, laboratory methodological assessment is in favour of measuring urinary MEK as it is non-invasive and does not have to be analysed immediately after collection.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ACGIH (American Committee of Governmental Industrial Hygienists): 1986, ‘Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values and the Biological Exposure Indices’, American Committee of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Cincinati, Ohio.
Brugnone De, Rosa, Perbellini and Bartolucci: 1986, ‘Toluene concentrations in the blood & alveolar air of workers during the workshift & the morning after’, British Journal of Industrial Medicine 43, 56–61.
Campbell, Marsh and Wilson: 1987, ‘Towards a biological monitoring strategy for toluene’, Ann. Occup. Hyg. 31, 121–133.
DeRosa, Brugnone, Bartolucci, Perbellini, Bellomo, Gori, Sigon and Chiesura, Corona: 1985, ‘The validity of urinary metabolites as indicators of low exposure to toluene’, Int. Archs. Occup. Env. Hlth. 56, 135–145.
Imbriani, Ghittori, Pezzagno, Huang and Capodaglio: 1988, ‘1, 1, 1-Trichloroethane (Methyl Chloroform) in urine as biological index of exposure’, American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 13, 211–222.
Lauwerys: 1983, Industrial Chemical Exposure Guidelines for Biological Monitoring, Biomedical Publications, Davis, California.
Liira, Riihimaki and Pfaffli: 1988, ‘Coexposure of man to m-xylene and methyl ethyl ketone. Kinetics and metabolism’, Scandinavian J. Work & Env. Health. 14, 322–327.
Liira, Riihimaki and Pfaffli: 1988, ‘Kinetics of methyl ethyl ketone in man: absorption, distribution and elimination in inhalation exposure’, Int. Arch. Occup. Env. Health. 60, 195–200.
Michiko, Miyasaka, Miho, Kumai, Akio, Koizumi, Takao, Watanabe, Kazuyuki, Kurasako, Kunihiko, Sato and Masayuki, Ikeda: 1982, ‘Biological monitoring of occupational exposure to methyl ethyl ketone by means of urinalysis for methyl ethyl ketone itself’, Int. Arch. Occup. Env. Health. 50, 131–137.
Perbellini, Brugnone, Mozzo, Cocheo and Caretta: 1984, ‘Methyl ethyl ketone exposure in industrial workers: Uptake and kinetics’, Int. Arch. Occup. Env. Health. 54, 83–81.
Perbellini, Faccini, Pasini, Cazzoli, Pistoia, Rosellini, Valsecchi and Brugnone: 1988, ‘Environmental and occupational exposure to benzene by analysis of breath and blood’, British Journal of Industrial Medicine. 45, 345–352.
Ramsey and Flanagan: 1982, ‘Detection and identification of volatile organic organic compounds in blood by Headspace Gas Chromatography as an aid to the diagnosis of solvent abuse’, Journal of Chromatography. 240, 423–444.
Sato, Nakajima, Fujiwara and Hirosawa: 1974, ‘Pharmacokinetics of benzene and toluene’, Int. Arch. Arbeitsmed. 33, 169–182.
Szadkowski, Borkamp and Lehnert: 1980, ‘Excretion of hippuric acid depending on circadian rhythm and nutritional effects’, Int. Arch. Occup. Env. Health. 45, 141–152.
Veulemans and Masschelein: 1978, ‘Experimental human exposure to toluene’, Int. Archs. Occup. Env. Health. 42, 105–117.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sia, G.L., Ong, C.N., Chia, S.E. et al. Environmental and biological monitoring of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Environ Monit Assess 19, 401–411 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401328
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401328