• Project number: F 2346
• Institution: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) / Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Institut für Toxikologie und Experimentelle Medizin (ITEM)
• Status: Completed Project

Description:

During recycling and remediation processes, which are a essential parts of a "green economy", significant exposure of workers to substances, which are either prohibited or restricted for years through various regulations may occur. Such activities are performed e. g. during recycling of railway sleepers or when soils are thermally decontaminated. These used materials exhibit high contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Biomonitoring investigations found internal exposures of these workers up to more than hundredfold of the biological reference value for 1-hydroxypyrene.This shows the high exposure of the workers to these carcinogenic substances.

Simultaneously performed workplace measurements and biomonitoring measurements shall give information about workers´ exposure. Additionally appropriate protective measures will be derived. The project is designed to provide experiences during implementation of the exposure-risk-relationship concept for carcinogenic substances. At the moment this concept is proved by the Committee on Hazardous Substances (AGS) and will be implemented into the hazardous Substances Ordinance in 2015. Benzo[a]pyrene is the leading component for PAHs. Moreover, recommendations for practice shall be established to support the enterprises when implementing the exposure-risk-relationship concept without extensive workplace measurements.