Risk assessment onexposure to BTEX among food restaurant workers at dam tourist attractions, North Eastern Thailand

Abstract

          Indoor air pollution is important health problem that causeshealthimpact to several part. The cooking process could
emit air pollutant to the indoor air especially, commercial cooking. This study aimed to study the concentration level of
benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in the kitchen atmosphere and to assess the health risk due to expose
BTEX among food restaurant workers at the sevendam restaurants of tourist attractions. The result showed that symptoms
related to respiratory system werestuffy nose(60.66%), nasal irritation (41.02%), and nasal mucous34.44%. The average
concentration level of BTEX that food restaurant workers exposed through working time were0.0081, 0.0068, 0.0068
and0.0146 mg/m3,respectively. The results from human health risk assessment in long-term (Hazard Index; HI > 1) showed
that chefs had health risk (HI) between 0.043to0.138. Assistant chefs had health riskbetween0.043 to0.077. Waitresshad HI 0.013-0.035andcashiers had Hi0.013-0.035. So, all work positionshad acceptable risk (HI<1). The calculated health risk assessment
on cancerfrom benzene exposurewasbetween 9.33 x 10-11to4.38 x 10-9 (acceptable value,IUR:2.2 x 10-6) and from
ethylbenzene exposure was between2.21 x 10-9to2.33 x 10-8 (IUR: 2.5 x 10-6). Although all position had acceptable risk from
BTEX exposure, some workers had respiratory symptoms related to polluted chemicals emitted from the cooking process
in kitchen that several researches confirmed of those substances could be carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon (PAHs).So that, the related department of dam shall provide safety training for the food restaurant workers
in order to motivate them to aware of health hazards and protection in parallel with providing annual health surveillance
and workplace monitoring.