• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.103-108
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• 2019

Background: This study was designed to provide logical backgrounds for the revision of biological exposure indices (BEIs) for styrene exposure in Korea. In order to investigate the correlation between airborne styrene and biological exposure indices, we measured urinary mandelic acid (MA) and phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA) in workers exposed to styrene occupationally, as well as airborne styrene at workplaces. Methods: Surveys were conducted for 56 subjects. The concentrations of airborne styrene and urinary metabolites of styrene were measured in 36 workers who were occupationally exposed to styrene, and in 20 controls. Air samples were collected using personal air samplers and analyzed by gas chromatography. Urine samples were collected at the end of the shift and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Results: The geometric mean concentration of airborne styrene was 9.6 ppm. The concentrations of urinary MA, PGA, and MA+PGA in the exposure group were 267.7, 143.3, and 416.8 mg/g creatinine, respectively. The correlation coefficients for correlation between airborne styrene and MA, PGA, and MA+PGA were 0.714, 0.604, and 0.769, respectively. The sum of urinary MA and PGA corresponding to an exposure of 20 ppm styrene was 603 mg/g creatinine. Conclusion: The correlation of the sum of urinary MA and PGA with airborne styrene was better than the correlation of each individual urinary determinant. It is considered appropriate to amend the concentration of urinary MA+PGA to 600 mg/g creatinine as a BEI, which corresponds to an airborne styrene concentration of 20 ppm in Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.863-875
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• 1996

In order to prepare the fundamental data for the health promotion by assessing the exposure level of styrene, the author determined the concentration of mandelic acid and phenylglyoxylic acid in urine of 42 workers who were exposed to styrene by high performance liquid chromatography and surveyed 16 symptoms, by questionnaire and also tested neurobehavioral test(digit symbol, benton visual retention) in 2 FRP plants of Kyung Nam area from July to September, 1995. Control was sampled by age sex matching method. The concentration of styrene in air was determined by gas chromatography. The results were as follows; 1. Geometric mean concentration of styrene in air was 17.4ppm, geometric mean concentration of mandelic acid(MA) in urine were 404.3mg/g creatinine for exposure group, 46.4mg/g creatinine for control group, geometric mean concentration of phenylglyoxylic acid(PGA) in urine were 57.5mg/g creatinine for exposure group, 9.5mg/g creatinine for control group. Mean concentration of MA and PGA showed statistically significant difference between exposure group and control group(p<0.01). 2. Number of symptom were 2.9 for exposure group, 3.3 for control group, number of digit symbol were 24.1 for exposure group, 32.5 for control group, number of Benton visual retention test were 6.1 for exposure group, 6.0 for control group, respectively. As result of adjusting the education year, number of Benton visual retention test showed statistically significant difference between exposure group and control group(p<0.05). 3. Excellent correlation were observed between environmental styrene exposure and urinary MA(r=0.80), PGA(r=0.73), and MA+PGA(r=0.81).

• Toxicological Research
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.355-361
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms of CYP2E1, GSTM1, and GSTT1 and lifestyle habits (smoking, drinking, and exercise) modulate the levels of urinary styrene metabolites such as mandelic acid (MA) and phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA) after occupational exposure to styrene. We recruited 79 male workers who had received chronic exposure in styrene fiberglass-reinforced plastic manufacturing factories. We found that serum albumin was significantly correlated with blood styrene/ambient styrene (BS/AS), urinary styrene (US)/AS, and US/BS ratios as well as urinary metabolites, that total protein correlated with US/MA and US/PGA ratios, and that low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol significantly correlated with US/BS, US/MA, and US/PGA ratios. Multiple logistic regression analyses using styrene-metabolizing enzyme genotypes and lifestyle habits as dependent variables and blood and urine styrene concentrations and urine styrene metabolite levels as independent variables revealed that $CYP2E1^*5$ was associated with the MA/US ratio and GSTM1 with US/BS, that a smoking habit was associated with US/AS and MA/US ratios and MA and PGA levels, and that regular exercise was correlated with PGA/US. In conclusion, the results suggested that genetic polymorphisms of styrene-metabolizing enzymes, lifestyle behaviors, and albumin and LDL-cholesterol serving as homeostasis factors together are involved in styrene metabolism.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.161-170
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• 1997

본 연구는 사업장 근로자의 스타이렌 폭로수준과 이에 따른 biological monitoring 농도의 변화를 알기 위하여 시도되었다. 조사대상자는 FRP공장, 함침작업공장, 피막도포작업공장에 종사하는 남자근로자 64명과 여자근로자 44명이며 포집 및 분석기간은 1995년 6월 15일부터 9월 30일까지 였다. 일반적 특성중 연령, 성별, 근무경력, 음주량, 흡연량은 설문지를 이용하였고 신장과 체중은 개인건강기록표를, 스타이렌 환경폭로농도를 알기 위하여는 확산형 포집기를 사용하였으며, 생물학적 감시물질의 폭로수준을 알기 위하여 혈액과 소변을 채취하여 혈중 스타이렌, 요중 mandelic acid(MA)와 phenylglyoxylic acid(PGA)을 분석하였다. 평균폭로농도는 21.0ppm으로 저농도였으며 사업장별로는 선박관련업체가, 작업방법으로는 적층작업이, 작업형태는 주작업에서 가장 높은 폭로를 보였으며 대상자 중 11%가 허용기준 이상으로 폭로되었다. 환경폭로수준과 혈중 스타이렌의 상관성은 0.620이었고 creatinine으로 보정한 phenylglyoxylic acid와는 0.702로 가장 높은 상관성을 보였다. 혈중 스타이렌과 요중 대사산물의 상관관계는 MA+PGA에서 가장 높은 상관성을 보였다. 생물학적 대사산물의 변화를 설명하는 독립변수들 중 환경폭로농도가 가장 중요하였으며 특히 MA와 MA+PGA에서는 성별 역시 중요한 변수였다. 생물학적 대사산물에 대한 독립변수의 설명력은 모두 31% 이상이었으며 그중 혈중 스타이렌은 49.1%로 가장 높았다. 요중 대사산물을 보정여부에 따른 상관성을 본 결과 모두 0.95이상을 보였다. 이상을 종합한 바 스타이렌 취급작업장의 공기중 농도를 측정할 때 확산포집기로도 사용할 수 있으며, 요의 생물학적 지표에서는 비중으로 보정한 경우가 creatinine으로 보정한 것의 대안으로 사용할 수 있고 또한 요중 MA 및 PGA를 이용하여 폭로 근로자의 폭로농도를 예측할 수 있으므로 이를 스타이렌 취급근로자에 적극적인 활용이 필요한 것으로 제시할 수 있다.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.235-244
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• 2007

By comparing the proteins from the workers exposed to styrene with the ones from controls, it may be possible to identify proteins that play a role in the occurrence and progress of occupational disease and thus to study the molecular mechanisms of occupational disease. In order to find the biomarkers for assessing the styrene effects early, before clinical symptoms develop and to understand the mechanisms of adverse health effects, we surveyed 134 employees, among whom 52 workers(30 male and 22 female) were chronically exposed to styrene in 10 glass-reinforced plastic boat manufacturing factories in Korea and 82 controls had never been occupationally exposed to hazardous chemicals including styrene. The age and drinking habits and serum biochemistry such as total protein, BUN and serum creatinine in both groups were significantly different. Exposed workers were divided into three groups according to exposure levels of styrene(G1, below 1/2 TLV; G2, 1/2 TLV to TLV; G3, above TLV). The mean concentration of airborne styrene in G1 group was $10.93{\pm}11.33ppm$, and those of urinary mandelic acid(MA) and phenylglyoxylic acid(PGA) were $0.17{\pm}0.21$ and $0.13{\pm}0.11g/g$ creatinine, respectively. The mean concentration of airborne styrene in G2 and G3 groups were $47.54{\pm}22.43$ and $65.33{\pm}33.47ppm$, respectively, and levels of urinary metabolites such as MA and PGA increased considerably as expected with the increase in exposure level of styrene. The airborne styrene concentration were significantly correlated to the urinary concentration of MA(r=0.784, p=0.000) and PGA(r=0.626, p<0.001). In the 2D electrophoresis, the concentration of five proteins including complement C3 precursor, alpha-1-antitrypsin(AAT), vitamin D binding protein precursor(DBP), alpha-1-B-glycoprotein(A1BG) and inter alpha trypsin inhibitor(ITI) heavy chain-related protein were significantly altered in workers exposed to styrene compared with controls. While expression of complement C3 precursor and AAT increased by exposure to styrene, expression of DBP, A1BG and ITI heavy chain-related protein decreased. These results suggest that the exposure of styrene might affects levels of plasma proteinase, carriers of endogenous substances and immune system. In particular, increasing of AAT with the increase in exposure level of styrene can explain the tissue damage and inflammation by the imbalance of proteinase/antiproteinase and decrease of DBP, A1BG and ITI heavy chain-related protein in workers exposed to styrene is associated with dysfunction and/or declination in immune system and signal transduction