US EPA

1807174 

Journal Article 

Occupational Exposure to 1-Ethoxy-2-Propanol and 2-Ethoxy-1-Propanol: Ambient and Biological Monitoring 

Bader, M; Buttner, J; Goen, T; Angerer, J 

1996 

0 

Occupational Hygiene
ISSN: 1061-0251 

NIOSH/00234194 

2 

1-6 

A study was conducted of 16 persons working as technicians on color rotogravure machines who were, during the course of their work, exposed to 1-ethoxy-2-propanol (1569024) contaminated with 2-ethoxy-1-propanol (19089475). Postshift urine samples were collected from all employees as well as from 6 persons starting on Friday afternoons and ending on Mondays. The median value for 1-ethoxy-2-propanol in the workplace air was about 15mg/m3 (range, 6.5 to 34mg/m3). The corresponding urinary excretion of the unchanged 1-ethoxy-2-propanol ranged from 0.2 to 2.8 milligrams/liter (mg/l), with a median value of 0.75mg/l. The concentration of 2-ethoxy-1-propanol in the workplace air ranged from 1 to 4mg/m3, with a median value of 1.87mg/m3. Urinary excretion of the corresponding 2-ethoxypropionic-acid (1331119) was in the range of 3 to 38mg/l, with a median of 22mg/l. At low concentrations there was no significant correlation between the propylene glycol ethers in urine and air. The correlation was significantly higher between the external exposure and the alkoxyacetic-acid. The authors suggest that the acid metabolite seems to be a better parameter for biomonitoring purposes, as it is found in higher concentrations. 

DCN-234618; Organic solvents; Biological monitoring; Urinalysis; Occupational exposure; Printing industry; Propanols; Metabolites; Air contamination