Evaluation of Occupational Exposure to Perchlorethylene in a Group of Italian Dry Cleaners Using Noninvasive Exposure Indices

Alberto Modenese, Tiziana Concetta Gioia, Andrea Chiesi, Carlotta Abbacchini, Lucia Borsari, Davide Ferrari, Fabrizio De Pasquale, Renato Di Rico, Raffaella Ricci, Antonella Sala, Ennio Gianaroli, Guerrino Predieri, Sara Verri and Fabriziomaria Gobba
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Alberto Modenese: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy
Tiziana Concetta Gioia: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy
Andrea Chiesi: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy
Carlotta Abbacchini: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy
Lucia Borsari: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy
Davide Ferrari: Department of Public Health, AUSL, 41126 Modena, Italy
Fabrizio De Pasquale: Department of Public Health, AUSL, 41126 Modena, Italy
Renato Di Rico: Department of Public Health, AUSL, 41126 Modena, Italy
Raffaella Ricci: Department of Public Health, AUSL, 41126 Modena, Italy
Antonella Sala: Department of Public Health, AUSL, 41126 Modena, Italy
Ennio Gianaroli: Department of Public Health, AUSL, 41126 Modena, Italy
Guerrino Predieri: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy
Sara Verri: TEST S.r.l., 41121 Modena, Italy
Fabriziomaria Gobba: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-12

Abstract: Recent data suggest a general trend in decreased occupational exposure to perchlorethylene (PCE) in the dry-cleaning sector. The aims of this study were to confirm this trend to lower exposure levels in a group of Italian dry cleaners and to evaluate the current occupational PCE exposure in these works using noninvasive biological indices. Environmental exposure was assessed by personal sampling in 60 operators working in 21 dry cleaning shops in North Italy. PCE in the exhaled alveolar air (PCE alv ), urinary concentration of PCE and of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) (PCE u and TCA u respectively), were measured as biological exposure indices. Median PCE environmental concentration in the whole sample was 10.6 mg/m 3 (i.e., less than the 25% of the levels measured in the same area in a previous study). All values were less than 10% of the occupational limits. PCE u measured in samples collected at the end of the work shift resulted the biological markers having the strongest correlation with environmental PCE (r = 0.81). PCE alv also resulted in a high correlation (r = 0.66), while a lower correlation was found for TCA u measured at the end shift (r = 0.32). According to our results, PCE u can be proposed as a valid, noninvasive, and easily reliable exposure index to evaluate PCE exposure at the low levels currently observed in dry cleaners, therefore representing a promising alternative to invasive blood sample collections needed to determine PCE blood concentration.

Keywords: perchloroethylene; dry cleaners; occupational exposure; chemical exposure; environmental monitoring; biological monitoring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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