Exposure to airborne organophosphates originating from hydraulic and turbine oils among aviation technicians and loaders

Abstract

This study describes the potential for occupational exposure to organophosphates (OPs) originating from turbine and hydraulic oils, among ground personnel within the aviation industry. The OPs tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), dibutyl phenyl phosphate (DBPP), triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and tricresyl phosphate (TCP) have been emphasized due to their use in such oils. Oil aerosol/vapor and total volatile organic compounds (tVOCs) in air were also determined. In total, 228 and 182 OPs and oil aerosol/vapor samples from technician and loader work tasks during work on 42 and 21 aircrafts, respectively, were collected in pairs. In general, the measured exposure levels were below the limit of quantification (LOQ) for 84%/98% (oil aerosol) and 82%/90% (TCP) of the samples collected during technician/loader work tasks. The air concentration ranges for all samples related to technician work were <LOQ-0.24 (oil aerosol) and <LOQ-9.4 (OPs) mg m⁻³, with the highest OP exposure levels measured during wheel well maintenance. For loader work the corresponding air concentration ranges were <LOQ-2.4 (oil aerosol) and <LOQ-0.052 (OPs) mg m⁻³, with the highest exposure levels measured during loading from jet engine aircrafts. Investigation of provoked exposure situations revealed substantially higher exposure levels of the contaminants when compared to regular conditions, illustrated by oil aerosol and TCP concentrations up to 240 and 31 mg m⁻³, respectively. The tailored OP and the general oil aerosol sampling methods were compared, displaying the advantages of tailored OP sampling for such exposure assessments.