Occupational Health Investigation In Workers Engaged In House Decoration And The Determinations Of Formaldehyde And Benzene In Newly Decorated Rooms And Study On Genetic Toxicities Of Them

Objective: To study the health effect of harmful substances produced in house decoration through the investigation of occupational heath impacts in the workers engaged in house decoration; To explore the formaldehyde and benzene concentrations in newly decorated rooms in Luzhou and to study the genotoxicities of them to mice. Methods: The questionnaires investigation were designed for 200 workers engaged in house decoration and 200 building workers to study the health effect of harmful substances produced in house decoration; The formaldehyde and benzene were collected with KB-6E type air sampler in newly decorated rooms , the concentration of formaldehyde determined with phenol reagent spectrophotometic method, the concentration of benzene determined with gas chromatography.The concentrations (fundamental doses)to which the mice were exposed were formulated by the average concentrations of formaldehyde and benzene in newly decorated rooms,10 times fundamental doses group and 20 times fundamental doses group also were exposed to mice.the control group was exposed in the semiliar environment without formaldehyde and benzene . the schedule which the mice were exposed :4 times a day (4 hours each time,1 unexposed-hour before another 4 exposed-hours )for fellowed 10days.The genotoxicities of formaldehyde and benzene and famaldehyde-benzene were tested by mice bone marrow micronuclei.Results: In house decoration workers, the prevalence rate of dermal redness,dryness,headache,vertigo,cough,asthma,chest tightness,nausea,vomit,discomfort sense in eyes,eyes ache,photophobia lacrimation,abnormal smell,nasopharyngeal discomfort and sore throat was higher compared with the building worker; The concentrations of formaldehyde and benzene in the newly decorated rooms were higher than the national standard for rooms in the former 3 months, especiallly of excessive decorated rooms; the concentrations of formaldehyde and benzene in newly decorated rooms tend to decrease during a long time.In comparison with the control group,there were no significant difference in the MNCF in the fundamental doses experimental groups,however , significant increments were showed in the 10 times and 20 times experimental groups,and the significant increments were also showed in the 10 times and 20 times formaldehyde plus benzene experimental groups. Conclusion: The poisonous substances released from the house decoration materials have some adverse effects on the workers engaged in house decoration; the formaldehyde and benzene pollutions are very serious in newly decorated rooms in Luzhou especiallly of excessive decorated rooms and them may cause DNA damaged.however the DNA damagement wasnot found in mice exposed to fundamental doses for short time,we hadnot any idea whether a long time exposed to the fundamental doses produced DNA damagement or not.Therefore,more studies should be operated in this aspect and steps should be taken to control the formaldehyde and benzene concentrations in rooms.