doi:10.1093/annhyg/men011 ExposureAssessment ofWorkers toAirbornePCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs at an Electric Arc Furnace

Occupational exposure studies were undertaken at a UK electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmak-ing plant to investigate the exposure of workers via inhalation to dioxins, polychlorinated bi-phenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Surveys were undertaken in areas including the melting shop, the casting department and a furnace control cabin. The highest concentrations of dioxins and PCBs were found inside the melting shop nearby EAFs, whereas dioxin and PCB concentrations in the casting depart-ment and inside the control cabin were significantly lower. Risk characterization was carried out by comparing the daily intake of dioxins and PCBs through inhalation with the recommen-ded tolerable daily intake (TDI). Health risk assessments were also carried out by combining exposure data with inhalation cancer potency factors to quantify the cancer risk. For the most exposed category of workers (melting shop workers), the estimated daily intake via inhalation was 0.35 pgWHO-TEQ kg21 body weight (bw) in the worst case scenario. Considering that the average UK adult exposure to dioxins from the diet is 1.8 pg WHO-TEQ kg21 bw day21, the results indicated that the estimated daily intake of dioxins via inhalation at the EAF would not result in the recommended range of the TDI (1–4 pg WHO-TEQ kg21 bw day21) bein