Health risk assessment of occupational exposure to BTEX compounds in petrol refueling stations in Mashhad

Introduction & Aims:
volatiles compounds are major causes of air pollution that exposure to these compounds can cause a lot of health effects on people.
Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl benzene and Xylene (BTEX) are volatiles components of Gasoline that occupational exposures
with them cause irreversible effect on the health of people. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk arising from occupational
exposure of BTEX on workers in Gasoline refueling stations of Mashhad in order to provide guidelines to control them.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 refueling station in the Mashhad city in 2012. In order to assess the health risk of
chemical uses the proposed method by National Institute of Safety and Health in Singapore. Firstly job tasks and work process was
determined and risk ranking was calculated in each job task by aid of hazard and exposure rate for any of chemicals. Finally were
obtained the risk level for each of the material by Placement of these two parameters in the final equation.
Results:
The result showed that maximum health risk is primarily related to the pumper and in exposing to benzene (risk=4.5) and in
next stage is in unloading Operators with Ethyl benzene.
Conclusion:
Results showed that workers in Gasoline refueling stations exposed to high levels of vapors BTEX compounds. Using of ways
control includes installation of vapors recovery system, proper maintenance of equipments gasoline refueling and design of
chamber for pumper significantly can be reduces the risk of exposure to these compounds.

*Corresponding Author:
Jahangiri Mohammad, Student Research Committee, School of Public Health, University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.