Quantitative risk assessment of respiratory exposure to acrylonitrile vapor in petrochemical industry by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency method: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: Medical gas research Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 142 - 148
• Main Authors: Sajedian, Ali, Karimi, Ali, Yarandi, Mohsen, Moshiran, Vahid, Koozekonan, Aysa, Golbabaei, Farideh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.07.2023; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
• Subjects: Acrylonitrile - toxicity; Carcinogens; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Male; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Risk Assessment; United States; United States Environmental Protection Agency; United States; Hazard Quotient; health risk assessment; integrated risk information system; acrylonitrile; lifetime cancer risk; EPA method; occupational exposure; petrochemical
• ISSN: 2045-9912; 2045-9912
• DOI: 10.4103/2045-9912.350859

Acrylonitrile is a potential carcinogen for humans, and exposure to this substance can cause adverse effects for workers. This study aimed to carcinogenic and health risk assessment of acrylonitrile vapor exposure in exposed personnel of a petrochemical complex. This crosssectional study was performed in 2019 in a petrochemical complex. In this study, to sample and determine acrylonitrile's respiratory exposure, the method provided by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH 1601) was used, and a total of 45 inhaled air samples were sampled from men workers, aged 39.43 ± 9.37 years. All subjects' mean exposure to acrylonitrile vapors was 71.1 ± 122.8 μg/m3. Also, the mean exposure index among all subjects was 0.02 ± 0.034. The non-carcinogenic risk assessment results showed that the mean Hazard quotient index was 4.04 ± 6.93. The mean lifetime cancer risk index was also 2.1 × 10-3 ± 3.5 × 10-3 and was in the definite risk range. Considering that both carcinogenicity and health indicators of exposure to acrylonitrile in the studied petrochemical complex are more than the recommended limits, the necessary engineering and management measures to control and manage the risk to an acceptable level are essential to improving the worker's health.