Indoor air quality and health risk assessment for workers in packaging production factory, Can Tho city, Viet Nam

Abstract

The production of packaging goods for cement is one of the most important industries, contributing to income of many workers. Production activities, however, cause air pollution and health risk. The study was conducted to assess air quality and health risks of workers through air quality data and interviewing employees from 2016-2017 at a packaging production factory, Can Tho city, Vietnam. The findings indicated that temperature and noise exceeded the national technical regulations (QCVN 22-26: 2016/TT-BYT) while the humidity, wind speed, light, respirable particles, toxic gases (benzene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)) were in accordance with the national standards for occupational health and safety (Decision 3733/2002/QĐ-BYT). However, health risk assessment showed that long-term exposure in this factory would result in severe impact on health of workers due to indoor air pollution. The non-cancer risk caused by benzene, toluene and MEK for workers in the working sections such as printing, film coating, weaving, spinning and pasting was expected to cause serious impact on workers’ health. The cancer risk (benzene) index was in the range of 1.3 x 10-5 to 7.7 x 10-4 and averaged at 3.3 x 10-4. The study clearly showed that benzene greatly contributes to serious workers’ health effects. Appropriate protection measures such as treatment of air pollutants, regular health check, wearing protective clothes should be implemented to mitigate impact of indoor air pollution at the factory. More importantly, it is necessary to reconsider the standard values of benzene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone to ensure health of workers.