Total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) exposure at car spray industries in Puncak Alam / Muhammad Hazwan Mohd Kasri

Workers in the car spray workshops were exposed to Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs) and the main source of TVOCs was paints whether were release direct or indirectly during painting process. The main route for TVOCs enter the workers body through inhalation and it may cause adverse health effect to the workers if exposed to TVOC for a long period of time. The examples of the health effect from TVOCs exposure such as respiratory problem, cardiovascular diseases, dizziness and nervous system and brain impairment. The study has been conducted in Puncak Alam area which are Alam Jaya and Felda Bukit Cerakah area and six (6) car spray workshops have been monitored. The study design for this study is cross – sectional study and the monitoring was conducted for eight (8) hours in each workshops. TVOCs concentration in the car spray workshops was measure by using ppbRae Model 3000 and by using mean concentration of TVOCs that was get from monitoring, Health Risk Assessment have been conducted to know the degree of risk exposure from TVOCs to the workers. The finding of this study show that there is high concentration of TVOCs exposure in the car spray workshop with the mean concentration ranging from 16.611 ppm to 65.625 ppm which exceed permissible limit that was stated in ICoP 2010 which 3 ppm. In addition, there was significance difference in the concentration of TVOCs before, during and after spraying process with the p value < 0.05. Furthermore, the health risk assessment that was conducted also show that all six car spray workshops may pose potential health risk to the worker which hazard quotient value > 1 which ranging from 15.89 to 62.80. Based on the finding, TVOCs exposure at car spray workshops may pose potential health effect to the workers and effective control measure to control TVOCs exposure must be implement to ensure safety and health of the workers.