Biomonitoring of volatile organic compounds and organophosphorus flame retardands in commercial aircrews after „fume and smell events

• Published in: International journal of hygiene and environmental health Vol. 259; p. 114381
• Main Authors: Weiss, Tobias, Koslitz, Stephan, Nöllenheidt, Christoph, Caumanns, Christoph, Hedtmann, Jörg, Käfferlein, Heiko U., Brüning, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Elsevier GmbH 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Acetone - analysis; Acetone - blood; Acetone - urine; Adult; Air Pollutants, Occupational - analysis; Air Pollutants, Occupational - urine; Aircraft; Biological Monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Female; Flame Retardants - analysis; Fume and smell event; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; n-hexane; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Organophosphorus Compounds - blood; Organophosphorus Compounds - urine; Organophosphorus flame retardands; Toluene - analysis; Tricresyl phosphate; Volatile organic compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - blood; Volatile Organic Compounds - urine; Young Adult; Volatile organic compounds; Fume and smell event; n-hexane; Tricresyl phosphate; Organophosphorus flame retardands
• ISSN: 1438-4639; 1618-131X; 1618-131X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114381

Health risks to humans after „fume and smell events“, short-term incidents on aircrafts that are accompanied by unpleasant odour or visible smoke, remain a subject of controversy. We assessed exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOC) and organophosphorus compounds (OPC) by biomonitoring in 375 aircrew members after self-reported “fume and smell events” and in 88 persons of the general population. A total of 20 parameters were analysed in blood and urine by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Median levels of acetone in blood and urine and 2-propanol in blood were elevated in aircrews compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Additionally, elevated peak exposures, best estimated by the 95th percentiles, were observed in aircrews for n-heptane and n-octane in blood, and acetone, 2,5-hexanedione and o-cresol in urine. Only the maximum observed levels of 2,5-hexandione in urine (768 μg/L) and toluene in blood (77 μg/L) in aircrew members were higher than the current biological exposure indices (BEI® levels) (500 and 20 μg/L, respectively) of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (US-ACGIH) for workers occupationally exposed to n-hexane and toluene, two well-accepted human neurotoxicants. Low-level exposures to n-hexane and toluene could be also observed in controls. The majority of OPC parameters in urine, including those of neurotoxic ortho-isomers of tricresylphosphate, were below the limit of quantitation in both aircrews and controls. Our comparative VOC and OPC analyses in biological samples of a large number of aircrew members and controls suggest that exposures are similar in both groups and generally low.