This page presents the exposure agent-specific exposure concentrations to airborne impurities detected in the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health's practical occupational hygiene services in Finnish workplaces and the results of biological exposure agent measurements in 2016-2019. The majority of samples were taken at industrial and productional workplaces. Air samples were taken from the breathing zones of employees outside of any respirators possibly in use. The data are compiled from the LIMS databases of the laboratories of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

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Work environment exposure measurements

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Occupational Exposure Limit Value (OEL) and biomonitoring action levels guarantee safety

The measurement results of airborne impurities indicate the average of the sampling period, which usually corresponds with the average concentration of a working day or, in the case of a few specific exposure agents, a shorter or momentary exposure.

The exposure concentrations of the air samples have been compared to the Occupational Exposure Limits and/or similar binding limit values set by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (primarily HTP-arvot 2018). If an exposure agent has been set a binding limit value higher than the OEL value, the results have only been compared with the OEL value.

Based on existing information, exposure does not cause any adverse effects on the employee's safety, health or reproductive health if the average exposure during a working day or momentary exposure does not exceed the set OEL values. However, the values are defined with consideration towards the level that has been practically achievable with the preventive measures in place at the time in different industries.

The biomonitoring results have been compared to the reference values of occupationally non-exposed and the action levels or binding limit values which the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health has set. The biomonitoring action level typically corresponds with the similar level of OEL values of exposure so, if the action level is exceeded, the exposure exceeds the level that cannot be considered safe to the employee's health.

Concentrations of individual volatile organic compounds were primarily found to be safe

At the investigated workplaces, instances where the OEL values of volatile organic compounds were exceeded as well as the instances where the corresponding action levels in the employees' biological samples were rare. As an exception to this, the concentration of the solvent styrene exceeded the OEL value in 13% of the measurements and the tetrachloroethene levels from blood samples exceeded the action level in 7% of the samples.

According to the results of biomonitoring, there were relatively many employees who were exposed to carbon disulphide (9% of the U-TTCA results exceeded the action level in 2016-2019). The concentrations of several other solvents were relatively high in many workplaces, although typically lower than the set OEL value. For example, the average concentrations of acetone, ethanol, ethyl acetate, petroleum ethers, 2-butanone, propanol and styrene in air exceeded 10 mg/m3 in the measurements presented here. In addition to this, the average concentrations of eleven solvents in air exceeded 1 mg/m3. In comparison, the reference value for total volatile organic compounds concentration (TVOC) in industrial air is 3 mg/m3. Even at this level, it can be expected that significant discomfort and, for example, transient irritative symptoms with certain employees are present.

13% of the urine sampling results of the pyrene metabolite 1-pyrenol, that indicates exposure to PAH compounds with poor volatility exceeded the action level. Similarly, a considerable amount of the results of air sample analyses of pyrene (37%) exceeded the OEL value of benzo(a)pyrene used as the reference value. Correspondingly, the 2-naphthol concentration in urine samples that indicates exposure to naphthalene was below the action level without exceptions whereas 4% of the results of air sample analyses exceeded the OEL value.

High exposure concentrations to different types of dust

Relatively high exposure concentrations to different types of dust were measured at the workplaces. In the air sample analyses, the OEL value was exceeded in

  • 45% of talc dust analyses
  • 35% of flour dust analyses
  • 11% of wood dust analyses
  • 19% of asbestos analyses.

Correspondingly, 10% of the analyses of inorganic dust and 11% of organic dust analyses exceeded the OEL value.

As much as 19% of respirable dust analyses exceeded the target level of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. The OEL value for respirable dust will most likely be included in the 2022 list of Finnish Occupational Exposure Limit Values. The decline of respirable quartz concentrations that began in 2006 as a result of the EU quartz agreement continued throughout the monitoring period. In 2016-2019 only 3% of the analyses exceeded the OEL value. The fact remains that measurements over this period did not contain a significant number of samples from constructions sites where the concentrations of quartz have been measured in significant quantities only after the binding limit value was applied in early 2020.

Relatively high concentrations of metal vapours and dust

Relatively high concentrations of metal vapours and dust in relation to the OEL values were also detected. For example, 12% of the results of air sample analyses of cobalt exceeded the OEL value in the latest monitoring period. In addition, 12% of the results of urine sample analyses exceeded the action level. The corresponding figures for arsenic were 10% over the OEL value and 4% over the action level.

A relatively high number of high concentrations of other metals in air, including metals present in welding fumes were also detected, for example: cadmium (10% over the OEL value), chromium VI (11% over the OEL value), chromium III (16% over the OEL value) and total nickel in respirable fraction (19% over the OEL value). However, the concentrations of these metals rarely exceeded the action levels in the analyses of biological samples (nickel 2%, others less than 1%), so it is possible that the monitored workplaces used respirators in tasks that involve exposure to the metals. It should also be mentioned that 20% of copper vapour analyses exceeded the OEL value. Correspondingly, 38% and 12% of the analyses of respirable and inhalable manganese exceeded the OEL value. The manganese concentrations measured from urine samples were below the specified action level without exceptions.

The Work-Life Knowledge service also offers article about the survey: Work environment exposure measurements.