Evaluation of low exposure to styrene

Abstract

Four volunteers were exposed dermally to styrene vapours within the concentration range of 1300 to 3200 mg/m³. The increase in the levels of mandelic and phenylglyoxylic acids in urine after exposure was strongly noticeable. The dermal vapour absorption coefficient (α) was calculated: for styrene it was ca. 0.022 m³/h. It was calculated that the dermal absorption of the styrene vapours contributed about 5% to the amount absorbed in the respiratory tract under the same conditions.