Probabilistic Risk Assessment of BTEX for Automotive Painting Workers

Introduction: Automotive refinishing operations are an important source of atmospheric emissions of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) compounds, primarily attributable to the evaporation of organic solvents utilized in painting and coating processes. This research employed a probabilistic risk assessment model to estimate the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks for automotive painters in Arak, Iran, due to occupational exposure to BTEX compounds. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed occupational exposure to BTEX compounds among 45 auto body painters. Air sampling from the breathing zone was conducted, followed by chemical analysis by NIOSH Method 1501 using GC-FID. Health risk assessment was performed through the U.S. EPA Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS). Results: The results demonstrated that the mean benzene concentration (507.5 μg/m3) significantly exceeded the ACGIH TLV-TWA threshold (63 μg/m³). In contrast, the measured levels of toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers remained below their respective exposure limits. The probabilistic risk assessment revealed that mean lifetime cancer risks for benzene (5.54 × 10-4) and ethylbenzene (9.9 × 10-5) substantially surpassed the acceptable benchmark of 1.0 × 10.-6 Furthermore, the non-carcinogenic risk, expressed as the hazard quotient (HQ), exceeded the safe level of 1 for both benzene and xylene, indicating the potential for adverse health effects. Conclusion: Automotive painters face significant carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks from BTEX exposure. To mitigate these risks, implementing engineering controls, administrative measures, and transitioning to low-VOC alternative paints is strongly recommended.