Occupational exposure to low levels of organic and inorganic substances in a chemical plant for the production of terephtalic acid dimethyl ester

The aim of our study was the evaluation of personal exposure to chemical pollutants in workers employed in a plant for the production of terephtalic acid dimethyl ester. Chemical agents have been included in the monitoring program on the basis of the industrial process. In the plant, the oxidation of p-xylene is performed by air and the resulting acid is esterified with methyl alcohol. Purified terephtalic acid dimethyl ester is then utilized for the production of polyethylene terephtalate. The environmental monitoring included terephtalic acid dimethyl ester, p-toluic acid methyl ester, terephtalic acid, p-xylene, methylacetate, methylbenzoate, formic acid, acetic acid, methanol, and the catalysts cobalt acetate and manganese (II) acetate tetrahydrate. Personal exposure to the cited airborne substances was performed in the breathing zone of six workers. Air samplings were carried out by drawing air through glass fibre filters (terephtalic acid dimethyl ester, p-toluic acid methyl ester and terephtalic acid aerosols), by active adsorption (methanol, formic and acetic acids vapours). p-Xylene, methylacetate and methylbenzoate vapours were collected by passive sampling. Cellulose nitrate filters were used for cobalt and manganese salts samplings. Analyses were performed by UV detection high-performance liquid chromatography (terephtalic acid dimethyl ester, p-toluic acid methyl ester and terephtalic acid), flame ionization detection gas chromatography (p-xylene, acetic acid methyl ester and benzoic acid methyl ester), ion chromatography (formic and acetic acids) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (cobalt and manganese). The results were evaluated according to the threshold limit values (TLVs) of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and indicated that the environmental levels of the workplace pollutants were well below the threshold limit values-time weighed average (TLV-TWA) adopted by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists for 2002, although for three substances the TLVs were not available.