Occupational exposure to styrene and acute health effects among fiberglass-reinforced plastic workers: An integrated environmental and biological monitoring study

Oh-Hyun Kwon and Ki-Youn Kim

PLOS ONE, 2025, vol. 20, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Styrene remains a major hazard in fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) manufacturing. The current 10 ppm 8-h TLV-TWA is half the former limit, and the movement by several European states toward comparable or lower OELs highlights the need for fresh exposure–response data. In this study, eighty-five Korean FRP workers were monitored cross-sectionally. Full-shift breathing-zone styrene was measured by GC-FID; post-shift urine was analysed for mandelic acid (MA) and phenyl-glyoxylic acid (PGA), and dermal uptake was estimated with fluorescent tracers. Neuro-irritative symptoms were assessed by questionnaire and clinically verified in a subset. The results showed that median styrene levels were 18.65 ppm (spray-up), 12.42 ppm (hand lay-up) and 6.37 ppm (closed-mold). Urinary MA and PGA correlated with air levels (r = 0.78, 0.77). Dermal styrene load showed a moderate correlation with urinary MA (r = 0.42, p

Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0334962

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0334962

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