Developing indicators for the assessment and proper management of the different levels of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)s generally associated with coke-oven workers

Abstract

Coke ovens may occur in the aluminium, steel, graphite, electrical, and construction industries. In the work area coke-oven workers may be exposed to various chemical compounds. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as human carcinogen, are primary compounds in coke oven emissions (COEs) generated in the coking process. Coke oven workers are often exposed to PAHs and can lead to a variety of human diseases.The primary routes of potential human exposure to coke oven emissions are inhalation and dermal contact. Occupational exposure may occur during the production of coke from coal, or while using coke to extract metals from their ores to synthesize calcium carbide, or to manufacture graphite and electrodes. Workers at coking plants and coal tar production plants, as well as the residents surrounding these plants, have a high risk of possible exposure to coke oven emissions.It is known that coke production could be carcinogenic to humans (Group-1) by IARC. There has been sufficient epidemiological evidence suggesting an etiological link between carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) exposure and lung cancer risk among coke-oven workers. Lung cancer among coke-oven workers has been classified as one of the eight prescribed occupational cancers in China, and its incidence rate was about 10 times that of the general population. Therefore, lung cancer of coke-oven workers is still a critical issue in the field of prevention and control of occupational cancers in China.This thesis explores the various exposure levels of workers to PAHs at a steel plant in China. The measurement will focus on the exposure difference of personal sampling among workers in selected job classifications given the job descriptions and the coking process. The Benxi Steel Industry in Liaoning province of China (BXSI) was selected as the research location. Liaoning province is in the North of China and the location of various heavy industries in China. The measurements will be done two separate coke ovens in Benxi Steel Industry. One new coke oven was built in the 90's last century (coke oven N) and the other older coke oven was built in the 1940's in last century (coke oven O). In this research, the total number of employees that were selected in the sample for both coke ovens are 64 samples included 54 coke oven exposure workers and 10 non-exposure administrative workers working at the plants.