Abstract

Thousands of workers are exposed to styrene and ethylene oxide. Previous animal studies have demonstrated the potential of thioethers, a type of urinary metabolite, as specific indicators of ethylene oxide and styrene exposure. This project was undertaken to establish the validity of this technique in humans.

Urine samples were taken from workers exposed to various levels of ethylene oxide and styrene, in order to establish the relationship between exposure and excretion.

Thioethers do not appear to be reliable indicators of styrene exposure, due to individual variation in excretion rates and the extremely low levels excreted (at the limit of detection). On the other hand, low levels of 2-hydroxymercapturic acid are excreted as a function of ethylene oxide exposure.