Objectives 

To investigate the possibility of applying diffusive air sampling and urinalysis (for mother compound and metabolites) to the monitoring of exposure of factory workers to 1-butanol.

Methods 

The performance of carbon cloth in adsorbing 1-butanol vapor in air was studied by experimental exposure of the cloth to 1-butanol at 50,100,200 or 400 ppm for up to 10 h. 1-Butanol in the exposed cloth was extracted with carbon disulfide and this was followed by gas-chromatographic (GC) analysis.

Urine samples were collected from factory workers occupationally exposed to 1-butanol and from rats exposed experimentally to 1-butanol vapour (up to 200 ppm).

The urine samples were analyzed by GC without any pretreatment, or after treatment with hydrochloric acid or hydrolase preparation.

Results 

The performance of the carbon cloth was such that it adsorbed 1-butanol in proportion to the concentration (up to 400 ppm) and the duration (up to 10 h) of exposure, and responded quantitatively to a 15-min exposure up to 400 ppm.

The amount of 1-butanol (after enzymic or acid hydrolysis) in post-exposure urine samples from rats was proportional to the exposure intensity.

The proportion of free 1-butanol in total 1-butanol (i.e., free+conjugated) in urine was higher after 100 or 200 ppm exposure (35-40%) than after 50 ppm exposure (about 8%). (...)