Assessment of Arsenic Exposure by Measurement of Urinary Speciated Inorganic Arsenic Metabolites in Workers in a Semiconductor Manufacturing Plant.
- Author:
Kiwhan BYUN
1
;
Yong Lim WON
;
Yang In HWANG
;
Dong Hee KOH
;
Hosub IM
;
Eun A KIM
Author Information
1. Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, Munemi-ro 478 Gusan-dong, Incheon-city 430-711, Republic of Korea. toxneuro@kosha.net
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Inorganic arsenic;
Semiconductor;
Metabolites
- MeSH:
Arsenic*;
Cacodylic Acid;
Occupations;
Plants*;
Plasma;
Semiconductors*;
Spectrum Analysis
- From:Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
2013;25(1):21-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exposure to arsenic in preventive maintenance (PM) engineers in a semiconductor industry by detecting speciated inorganic arsenic metabolites in the urine. METHODS: The exposed group included 8 PM engineers from the clean process area and 13 PM engineers from the ion implantation process area; the non-exposed group consisted of 14 office workers from another company who were not occupationally exposed to arsenic. A spot urine specimen was collected from each participant for the detection and measurement of speciated inorganic arsenic metabolites. Metabolites were separated by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma spectrometry-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Urinary arsenic metabolite concentrations were 1.73 g/L, 0.76 g/L, 3.45 g/L, 43.65 g/L, and 51.32 g/L for trivalent arsenic (As3+), pentavalent arsenic (As5+), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and total inorganic arsenic metabolites (As3+ + As5+ + MMA + DMA), respectively, in clean process PM engineers. In ion implantation process PM engineers, the concentrations were 1.74 g/L, 0.39 g/L, 3.08 g/L, 23.17 g/L, 28.92 g/L for As3+, As5+, MMA, DMA, and total inorganic arsenic metabolites, respectively. Levels of urinary As3+, As5+, MMA, and total inorganic arsenic metabolites in clean process PM engineers were significantly higher than that in the non-exposed group. Urinary As3+ and As5+ levels in ion implantation process PM engineers were significantly higher than that in non-exposed group. CONCLUSION: Levels of urinary arsenic metabolites in PM engineers from the clean process and ion implantation process areas were higher than that in office workers. For a complete assessment of arsenic exposure in the semiconductor industry, further studies are needed.
