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Occupational exposure to styrene and acute health effects among fiberglass-reinforced plastic workers: An integrated environmental and biological monitoring study

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  • Oh-Hyun Kwon
  • Ki-Youn Kim

Abstract

Styrene remains a major hazard in fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) manufacturing. The current 10 ppm 8-h TLV-TWA is half the former limit, and the movement by several European states toward comparable or lower OELs highlights the need for fresh exposure–response data. In this study, eighty-five Korean FRP workers were monitored cross-sectionally. Full-shift breathing-zone styrene was measured by GC-FID; post-shift urine was analysed for mandelic acid (MA) and phenyl-glyoxylic acid (PGA), and dermal uptake was estimated with fluorescent tracers. Neuro-irritative symptoms were assessed by questionnaire and clinically verified in a subset. The results showed that median styrene levels were 18.65 ppm (spray-up), 12.42 ppm (hand lay-up) and 6.37 ppm (closed-mold). Urinary MA and PGA correlated with air levels (r = 0.78, 0.77). Dermal styrene load showed a moderate correlation with urinary MA (r = 0.42, p

Suggested Citation

  • Oh-Hyun Kwon & Ki-Youn Kim, 2025. "Occupational exposure to styrene and acute health effects among fiberglass-reinforced plastic workers: An integrated environmental and biological monitoring study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(11), pages 1-15, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0334962
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0334962
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