Assessment of exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in the chemical industry: results of a five year biological monitoring study.
Data on individual exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in herbicide production plants are limited. Hence, the urinary excretion of this herbicide was measured during a five year (1985-1989) biological monitoring study of 27 men and 18 women employees exposed during the production and formulation of 2,4-D and related sodium and dimethylamine salts. In separate studies, specimens of urine were collected in the morning, or during the last three hours of a working shift, or over a 24 hour period (1200 to 1200 or 0800 to 0800) and were analysed by an immunochemical method (2,4-D radioimmunoassay (RIA)). Urinary 2,4-D concentrations varied within a large scale from only a few micrograms/l to several 10s of mg/l. During a week, herbicide excretion increased, culminating on Friday. At the weekend, when no work was done, 2,4-D elimination decreased but did not return to zero in any case. After an interruption of exposure for about three weeks, urinary 2,4-D was no longer detectable. About five days after restarting work, body concentrations had built up again. Measurements of 2,4-D concentrations in air at different work-places showed that herbicide concentrations did not exceed 0.5 mg/m3. As well as inhalation, dermal 2,4-D absorption seemed to play an important part in total uptake of herbicide. Furthermore, a strong correlation was found (r = 0.9628) between 2,4-D urinary concentration, adjusted for endogenous creatinine, and the estimated amount of absorbed herbicide. Estimated absorbed doses were, in most cases, well below 0.1 mg 2,4-D/kg body wt/day. Sometimes this concentration was greatly exceeded. Thyroid hormone concentrations in blood were measured as well. No notable abnormalities were found. Exposed subjects were also typed for histocompatibility locus antigens ( ABC antigens). The immunochemical determination of 2,4-D in specimens of urine proved to be a simple, cost effective, and non-invasive method to measure human exposure.[1]References
- Assessment of exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in the chemical industry: results of a five year biological monitoring study. Knopp, D. Occupational and environmental medicine. (1994) [Pubmed]
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