ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL INHALATION AND DERMAL EXPOSURE TO HEAVY METAL CHROMIUM IN WORKERS AT SEVERAL PAINT INDUSTRIS

• Main Author: Angel Juniarta, Judithya
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik saniter dan perkotaan; teknik perlindungan lingkungan
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/76598
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

For occupational health and safety reasons, paint industri workers need to be aware of the health risks that can occur from exposure to metal-based dyes, such as hexavalent chromium (Cr(IV)). This study aims to analyze Cr metal exposure in paint industri workers from inhalation and dermal exposure routes, along with its potential quantity and risk in three paint industries in Indonesia, namely PT A, PT B, and PT C. Sampling of Cr exposure in the inhalation and dermal routes was conducted using MCE filters on personal sampling pumps and as skin patches on open skin. Based on NIOSH 7702 issue 1, the concentration of heavy metal Cr captured in the MCE filter was measured by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) method. The evaluation of paint industri workers' exposure to heavy metal Cr via inhalation and dermal was based on Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund Volume I: Human Health Evaluation Manual (Part F and E) to obtain inhalation exposure concentration (EC) and dermal average daily dose (ADD) values. The average inhalation and dermal Cr exposure concentration values were 0,0573 ± 0,0435 µg/cm3 and 4,32 ×10-6 ± 4,73 × 10-6 mg/cm2 .day, respectively, so they can be said to be within safe limits. The EC and ADD values obtained were used to determine the quantification of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks received by paint industri workers. The characterization of total noncarcinogenic risk through inhalation and dermal will be quantified as Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) while carcinogenic risk will be quantified as Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR). Based on the HI value, it is concluded that there is no possibility of severe noncarcinogenic health effects due to Cr metal exposure. Based on the ELCR value, there is a 3-case increase in cancer cases in a population of 10,000 people compared to a population of the same number of people with no exposure. This is exacerbated by the carcinogenic status of heavy metal Cr which is categorized in Group A; 1, which is carcinogen to humans by IARC. This carcinogenic risk is above the specified threshold value, thus requiring immediate risk management. In addition, the concentration of heavy metal Cr in the air in the three industries has an average value of 0.14 ± 0.095 µg/m3 . Of the three industries, it can be concluded that PT A has the highest concentration of heavy metal Cr than the other two industries. The measurement results can be said to be within the limits of the threshold value by ATSDR, which is 0.5 mg/m3 . Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon SumRank tests serve to determine significant differences in exposure to several factors. Based on these tests, exposure through the inhalation route, carcinogenic risks, and noncarcinogenic risks have significant differences in the occupational share of paint workers. This is likely due to the greater level of inhalation exposure to Cr in the production and logistics departments than in the non-production departments. Production workers are directly exposed to Cr because they work near raw materials containing heavy metal Cr. Meanwhile, non-production and logistics workers work in office or warehouse spaces, respectively. Logistics workers work in the paint warehouse, which has poor air circulation. Risk management aims to reduce exposure so as to reduce the risk due to exposure received by workers, as follows: use of proper PPE, socialization of work hazards and the importance of PPE on a regular basis, improvement of workers' immunity to prevent weight loss and disease, and review of working time to prevent continuous exposure to Cr.