특정 가구 제조 공장의 포름알데히드 발생 공정 노출 평가

Abstract

Formaldehyde is defined as carcinogen causing leukaemia, lymphoma or nasopharyngeal carcinomaat high level of exposure. Furniture-manufacturing workers can be exposed to formaldehyde, which impliesserious impact on health of the workers. The authors carried out ambient monitoring of formaldehyde in thefield, and identified the source of formaldehyde generated during the working process by testing the conditionin the laboratory settings. After sampling formaldehyde in the air with 2,4-DNPH (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine)coated silica gel, we extracted formaldehyde derivative with acetonitrile and analyzed the extract using HPLCwith UV detector at 360 nm. Formaldehyde was separated by ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column at a flowrate of 0.5 mL/min using 45% acetonitrile as mobile phase. The workers were exposed to higher level offormaldehyde than normal air. Formaldehyde up to 0.31 ppm was detected in the process of veneer attachment,which exceeded 0.3 ppm, the ceiling value of ACGIH standard. The laboratory test of measuring formaldehydegenerated from the glue and veneer used in the attachment process resulted in more formaldehyde generationas the temperature increased, and more from the veneer. Heating the veneer to 100-150 oC following the realcondition of the manufacturing site generated 1.14-2.70 ppm of formaldehyde from the sample, which was2-5 times higher level than Korean limit of exposure (0.5 ppm). As the workers handling and processing theveneer which was produced by wet process had high possibility to be exposed to formaldehyde, urgentimprovement and management of working environment of furniture manufacturer is demanded.