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Document ID (ISN)78821
CIS number 02-843
ISSN - Serial title 0535-5133 - Investigación Clínica
Year 2001
Convention or series no.
Author(s) Fernández-D'Pool J., Oroño-Osorio A.
Title Liver function of petrochemical industry workers occupationally exposed to mixed organic solvents
Original title Función hepática de trabajadores ocupacionalmente expuestos a solventes orgánicos mixtos en una industria petroquímica [in Spanish]
Bibliographic information June 2001, Vol.42, No.2, p.87-106. 26 ref.
Abstract The aim of this cross-sectional study involving 77 workers of a Venezuelan petrochemical plant exposed to mixed solvents and 91 non-exposed controls was to establish whether liver function changes were caused by exposure or by confounding factors. Blood and urine samples were collected in order to determine hepatic enzyme activity as well as the concentration of serum biliary acids and urinary phenols. Ambient concentrations of benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene and xylene were determined by gas phase chromatography. Hepatic enzyme activity, biliary acid concentration and the urinary phenol level showed no correlation with exposure. However, the increased activity of γ-glutamyl-transferase was related to obesity and alcohol consumption.
Descriptors (primary) hepatotoxic effects; petrochemical industry; organic solvents; enzyme activity
Descriptors (secondary) benzene; toluene; ethylbenzene; glutamyl transferase; obesity; Venezuela; confounding factors; cross-sectional study; determination in air; determination in blood; determination in urine; xylene
Document type D - Periodical articles
Country / State or ProvinceVenezuela
Subject(s) Chemicals, plastics and rubber
Broad subject area(s) Chemical safety
Browse category(ies) Blood diseases
Petrochemical industry
Chemical industry