• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.243-247
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• 2014

Formaldehyde is defined as carcinogen causing leukaemia, lymphoma or nasopharyngeal carcinoma at high level of exposure. Furniture-manufacturing workers can be exposed to formaldehyde, which implies serious impact on health of the workers. The authors carried out ambient monitoring of formaldehyde in the field, and identified the source of formaldehyde generated during the working process by testing the condition in the laboratory settings. After sampling formaldehyde in the air with 2,4-DNPH (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine) coated silica gel, we extracted formaldehyde derivative with acetonitrile and analyzed the extract using HPLC with UV detector at 360 nm. Formaldehyde was separated by ACQUITY UPLC BEH $C_{18}$ column at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min using 45% acetonitrile as mobile phase. The workers were exposed to higher level of formaldehyde than normal air. Formaldehyde up to 0.31 ppm was detected in the process of veneer attachment, which exceeded 0.3 ppm, the ceiling value of ACGIH standard. The laboratory test of measuring formaldehyde generated from the glue and veneer used in the attachment process resulted in more formaldehyde generation as the temperature increased, and more from the veneer. Heating the veneer to $100-150^{\circ}C$ following the real condition of the manufacturing site generated 1.14-2.70 ppm of formaldehyde from the sample, which was 2-5 times higher level than Korean limit of exposure (0.5 ppm). As the workers handling and processing the veneer which was produced by wet process had high possibility to be exposed to formaldehyde, urgent improvement and management of working environment of furniture manufacturer is demanded.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the exposure to vinyl chloride monomer(VCM) induces lipid peroxidation in workers by evaluating the concentration of malondialdehyde(MDA) in the urine in order to assess worker's oxidative stress due to exposure of vinyl chloride monomer. The subjects investigated in the study were divided into the experimental group; 18 workers exposed to VCM, and the control group; 19 workers unexposed to VCM. A gas chromatography/pulsed flame photometric detector(GC/PFPD) was utilized to analyze thiodiglycolic acid(TDGA), which was methylated with trimethylsilyldiazomethane (2.0M in diethyl ether) in urine and the urinary MDA, the product of lipid peroxidation, was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet-visible detector after derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine(DNPH). The concentrations of urinary TDGA in controls and VCM exposure workers were 0.13(2.01)mg/g Cr. GM(GSD) and 0.35(1.96)mg/gCr. GM(GSD), respectively. The concentrations of urinary MDA were $0.12(2.21){\mu}mol/gCr$. GM(GSD) in controls and $1.35(1.79){\mu}mol/gCr$. GM(GSD) in VCM exposure workers. As a result of simple regressions analysis between urinary concentration of TDGA and MDA in VCM exposure workers, it was found that the $R^2$ value was 0.261 (p=0.03) and the drinking and smoking did not affect their level. In conclusion, the workers exposed to VCM have a potentially to suffered by oxidative stress due to VCM exposure and the urinary MDA can be applicable to the marker of effect to assess the level of worker's VCM exposure.