Exposure to propylene- and diethylene glycol ethers: analytical methods and biological monitoring

Twenty-two people involved with manufacturing brakehoses and exposed to the glycol ether 1- methoxypropanol-2, were assessed according to the external and internal exposure to this solvent. The elimination kinetics of 1-methoxypropanol-2 in man were studied and mean excretion half lives of approximately 4.4 h were found. On the basis of our results, we made a rough calculation for a future biological tolerance value for 1-methoxypropanol-2. On that basis we would expect that concentrations from 38 to 109 mg per liter of blood and 10 to 31 mg per liter of urine would correspond to the German maximum concentration at the workplace for 1-methoxypropanol-2 of 375 mg/m3. In addition, the analytical method which has been used for this purpose and its reliability criteria are shown.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.