EXPOSURE TO ETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOBUTYL ETHER AND RELATED WORKERS HABITS IN AN INK FACTORY

forty six workers from an ink factory were included in this study, in which, passive badge sampler andquestionnaire interview were used to assess the concentrations of airborne exposure to ethylene glycolmonobutyl ether during work shifts and to understand the subjects’ working habits. the geometric meanvalue (95% confidence interval) of the airborne ethylene glycol monobutyl ether concentrations was0.12(0.08–0.19)ppm, with a range of <0.02–1.82ppm. the exposure group was exposed to statisticallysignificantly higher ethylene glycol monobutyl ether concentrations than the control group (geometricmean value: 0.14vs. 0.03ppm; p=0.017). some chromatograms showed that subjects were co-exposed tom-xylene, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate. according tothe completed questionnaires, subjects might also be exposed to 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene, propyleneglycol ethers, ethanol, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, methanol and diisononyl phthalate. this study alsosuggests that, the taiwan occupational time-weighted average level of ethylene glycol monobutyl etherbe reconsidered with a view to being lowered.