EVALUATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE EXPOSURE IN AN INTEGRATED COAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

TARUN K. SARKAR, KISHORE K. BANERJEE, AMIT K. SARKAR, AMALENDU SAMANTA

All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health
Department of Occupational Health, Calcutta, India
 
Corresponding author: Kishore K. Banerjee
Department of Occupational Health
All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health
110 C. R. Avenue, Calcutta 700 073, India
Fax: (+91) 33 2412539


CEJOEM 1999, Vol.5. No.1.:50-53



ABSTRACT: An evaluation study of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure of the workers working in an integrated coal chemical industry was carried out. The maximum environmental CO level was found to be 425±426.26 ppm at producer gas plant whereas the minimum level was measured at 14.3±10.5 ppm at pocking zones. In lock-hopper zones, the highest CO concentration was 338.7±251.35 ppm during charging time. In retort house, the highest and lowest CO level were 290±205.10 and 0.95±7.50 ppm respectively. Percentage of Carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) level of producer gas plant employees was 5.84±1.06, whereas the level was found to be 4.93±0.73 in the employees working in the retort house and the values were significantly (P<0.001) altered in comparison to control (1.66±0.89). All the data are mean ± SD. Results indicated that in both producer gas plant and retort house the employees were significantly exposed to CO and which caused different clinical manifestations.

KEY WORDS: Carboxyhaemoglobin, cyanomethaemoglobin, occupational exposure



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Authors wish to thank Dr. R. N. Chaudhuri, Head, Department of Occupational Health, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Calcutta for his permission to carryout this study.
Received: 01 March 1999
Accepted: 23 March 1999

Posted: December 1999

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