Evaluation of Exposure to Toluene and Xylene in Gasoline Station Workers
Table 2
Mean, P95 values, and distribution of workers by the levels of hippuric acid and methylhippuric acid in gasoline station workers (occupationally exposed to VOCs) and office workers (comparison group) from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), 2015–2017.
Variables
Office workers1 (n = 100)
Gasoline station workers2 (n = 275)
value
Convenience store workers (n = 94)
Filling station attendants (n = 181)
Toluene (hippuric acid (HA))
Mean ± SD
0.083 ± 0.19
0.393 ± 0.308
0.319 ± 0.271
0.001
P95
0.609
1.087
0.869
Reference: mean of OW–n (%)3
≤0.083
79 (79.0)
7 (7.4)
25 (13.8)
<0.001
>0.083
21 (21.0)
87 (92.6)
156 (86.2)
Xylene (methylhippuric acid (MHA))
Mean ± SD
0.016 ± 0.051
1.714 ± 1.333
1.456 ± 1.266
0.001
P95
0.110
4.977
3.996
Reference: means of OW–n (%)
≤0.016
85 (85.0)
1 (1.1)
2 (1.1)
<0.001
>0.016
15 (15.0)
93 (98.9)
179 (98.9)
1Not occupationally exposed to toluene and xylene. 2Occupationally exposed to toluene and xylene. 3Mean (g/g creatinine) of the office worker group was used as a cutoff point. Kruskal–Wallis test. Chi-square test.
