Occupational glycol ether exposure: examinations to the evaluation of a limit value for biological monitoring of 2-ethoxyethanol and 2-ethoxyethyl acetate

Seventeen persons from a varnish production plant or the ceramic industry were examined for their excretion of 2-ethoxyacetic acid (EAA) in urine after occupational exposure to 2- ethoxyethanol (EE) or 2-ethoxyethyl acetate (EEAc). Sampling of urine was performed before and during an exposure-free weekend. On Friday post-shift a median value of 29,8 mg/l was determined for EAA in urine, on Monday morning of 10,7 mg/l. Based on the EAA elimination curves a medium half-life of 57,4 or 57,1 hours respectively was calculated. These values are considerably longer than values from literature (21 - 42 hours). As a consequence the German BAT value of 50 mg EAA per liter urine is only half as high as the currently discussed proposal for the American BEI value.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.