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Human exposure to airborne aniline and formation of methemoglobin: a contribution to occupational exposure limits

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Abstract

Aniline is an important starting material in the manufacture of polyurethane-based plastic materials. Aniline-derived methemoglobinemia (Met-Hb) is well described in exposed workers although information on the dose–response association is limited. We used an experimental design to study the association between aniline in air with the formation of Met-Hb in blood and the elimination of aniline in urine. A 6-h exposure of 2 ppm aniline in 19 non-smoking volunteers resulted in a time-dependent increase in Met-Hb in blood and aniline in urine. The maximum Met-Hb level in blood (mean 1.21 ± 0.29 %, range 0.80–2.07 %) and aniline excretion in urine (mean 168.0 ± 51.8 µg/L, range 79.5–418.3 µg/L) were observed at the end of exposure, with both parameters rapidly decreasing after the end of exposure. After 24 h, the mean level of Met-Hb (0.65 ± 0.18 %) returned to the basal level observed prior to the exposure (0.72 ± 0.19 %); whereas, slightly elevated levels of aniline were still present in urine (means 17.0 ± 17.1 vs. 5.7 ± 3.8 µg/L). No differences between males and females as well as between slow and fast acetylators were found. The results obtained after 6-h exposure were also comparable to those observed in four non-smoking volunteers after 8-h exposure. Maximum levels of Met-Hb and aniline in urine were 1.57 % and 305.6 µg/L, respectively. Overall, our results contribute to the risk assessment of aniline and as a result, the protection of workers from aniline-derived adverse health effects at the workplace.

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Acknowledgments

This research was sponsored by a consortium consisting of BASF Polyurethanes GmbH (Lemförde, Germany), Bayer MaterialScience AG (Leverkusen, Germany) and LANXESS Germany GmbH (Leverkusen, Germany). The study designs, study parameters, evaluation, content and the opinions of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the consortium or individual members therein. The authors would like to thank all participating volunteers and technical staff at IPA and IfaDo and Dr. Rosemarie Marchan for editorial review prior submission.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany

    Heiko Udo Käfferlein, Horst Christoph Broding, Jürgen Bünger, Birger Jettkant, Stephan Koslitz, Martin Lehnert, Eike Maximilian Marek, Christian Monsé, Tobias Weiss & Thomas Brüning

  2. Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the Technical University of Dortmund (IfaDo), WHO Collaborating Center for Occupational Health, Ardeystraße 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany

    Meinolf Blaszkewicz

Authors
  1. Heiko Udo Käfferlein
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  2. Horst Christoph Broding
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  3. Jürgen Bünger
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  4. Birger Jettkant
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  5. Stephan Koslitz
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  6. Martin Lehnert
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  7. Eike Maximilian Marek
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  8. Meinolf Blaszkewicz
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  9. Christian Monsé
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  10. Tobias Weiss
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  11. Thomas Brüning
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Correspondence to Heiko Udo Käfferlein.

Additional information

Heiko Udo Käfferlein and Horst Christoph Broding have contributed equally to the work.

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Käfferlein, H.U., Broding, H.C., Bünger, J. et al. Human exposure to airborne aniline and formation of methemoglobin: a contribution to occupational exposure limits. Arch Toxicol 88, 1419–1426 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-014-1266-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-014-1266-y

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