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KMID : 0895420100200010047
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Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Enviromental Hygiene
2010 Volume.20 No. 1 p.47 ~ p.52
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Airborne Nicotine Concentrations in Harvesting and the Processing of Tobacco Leaves
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Park Sung-Jun
Kim Jong-Seuk
Kim Jik-Su
Lee Kwan
Lim Hyun-Sul
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Abstract
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Green tobacco sickness (GTS) is known as an occupational disease among tobacco harvesters, and a form of acute nicotine intoxication by the absorption of nicotine through the skin from the wet green tobacco plant. On the assumption that GTS may occur by inhalation as well as absorption of nicotine, we measured the airborne nicotine concentration in tobacco field and the processing room of tobacco leaves. We measured the airborne nicotine concentrations in the tobacco field and processing room between 13 and 30 July 2008. All sampling and analyses of airborne nicotine were conducted according to the manual of analytic methods of NIOSH 2551, and we sampled 2 times at 11 points in the tobacco field by area sampling. The sampling in the processing room of tobacco leaves was conducted at 3 points, and early-morning dew was collected from the tobacco by wringing the moisture into specimen bottles. The airborne nicotine concentration [geometric mean (geometric standard deviation)] in the tobacco field in the P.M. was higher [49.2 ㎎/㎥ (1.3)] than the A.M. concentration [43.4 ㎎/㎥(1.4)]. Similarly, the nicotine concentration in the processing room of tobacco leaves was 224.4 ㎎/㎥ (1.2), and the concentration of nicotine in the dew was 64.7 ㎎/ℓ (1.7). Based on our results, the airborne nicotine concentration in the tobacco field and the processing room of tobacco leaves were 100 and 400 times higher than the occupational recommended values (TLV-TWA of 0.5 ㎎/㎥), respectively. In the future, it is hoped that epidemiologic studies and environmental measurements will be conducted for GTS which occurs by inhalation of nicotine. If GTS is confirmed to occur by inhalation of nicotine, respiratory and dermal protective equipment must be distributed.
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KEYWORD
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Green tobacco sickness, Inhalation, Nicotine, Poisoning
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