TY - JOUR
T1 - Organic solvents as chemical risk factors of the work environment in different branches of industry and possible impact of solvents on workers' health
T2 - Oganiskie škīdinātāji kā darba vides ķīmiskā riska faktori dažādās ražošanas nozares un to iespējamā ietekme uz nodarbināto veselību
AU - Ǎrija Baķe, Marite
AU - Eglite, Maija
AU - Martinsone, Žanna
AU - Buiķe, Inita
AU - Piķe, Anita
AU - Sudmalis, Pavels
N1 - Funding Information:
The research was conducted within the Project “Studies of the Ministry of Welfare” No. VPD1/ESF/NVA/04/NP/ 3.1.5.1./0003 of the National Programme “Labour Market Studies” and financed by European Structural Fund.
PY - 2010/1/1
Y1 - 2010/1/1
N2 - The aim of our study was to investigate organic solvents as chemical risk factors of the work environment in different branches of the industry in Latvia during 1998-2006 and to evaluate the possible impact of solvents to worker health according to the exposure index. The work conditions were studied in 116 enterprises of different branches of industries in Latvia. The analysis of 1790 measurements showed that organic solvents in the work environment have different degrees of exposure probability risk on worker health. The exposure levels in workplaces differ. More than half of surveyed workplaces (56.7%) had a low organic solvent exposure probability level, in 25.2% workplaces it was medium, and in 18.1% workplaces high. The most widely used organic solvents were aromatic hydrocarbons, which was recorded in 35% of the measurements made during assessment of aromatic hydrocarbon group organic solvent exposure in the work environment. In most workplaces several solvents were present simultaneously. Since solvents have a one-way effect on the human body, the actual exposure risk level is higher than shown when evaluating the exposure index of a single solvent only.
AB - The aim of our study was to investigate organic solvents as chemical risk factors of the work environment in different branches of the industry in Latvia during 1998-2006 and to evaluate the possible impact of solvents to worker health according to the exposure index. The work conditions were studied in 116 enterprises of different branches of industries in Latvia. The analysis of 1790 measurements showed that organic solvents in the work environment have different degrees of exposure probability risk on worker health. The exposure levels in workplaces differ. More than half of surveyed workplaces (56.7%) had a low organic solvent exposure probability level, in 25.2% workplaces it was medium, and in 18.1% workplaces high. The most widely used organic solvents were aromatic hydrocarbons, which was recorded in 35% of the measurements made during assessment of aromatic hydrocarbon group organic solvent exposure in the work environment. In most workplaces several solvents were present simultaneously. Since solvents have a one-way effect on the human body, the actual exposure risk level is higher than shown when evaluating the exposure index of a single solvent only.
KW - chemicals of different classes
KW - exposure indexes
KW - organic solvents
KW - risk factors of work environment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77956239865&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2478/v10046-010-0011-z
DO - 10.2478/v10046-010-0011-z
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77956239865
SN - 2255-890X
VL - 64
SP - 25
EP - 32
JO - Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Section B. Natural, Exact, and Applied Sciences.
JF - Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Section B. Natural, Exact, and Applied Sciences.
IS - 1
ER -
