Health risk assessment of occupational exposure to harmful chemical agents in a pesticide manufacturing plant

Background: In most industries, employees are in contact with various chemical agents. The objective of this study was to assess the health risks posed by occupational exposure to harmful chemical agents in a pesticide manufacturing plant in Zahedan, Iran, in 2013. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in different units of a pesticide manufacturing plant. In order to evaluate the health risks associated with occupational exposure, a method provided by the Singapore Health Department was used. After identifying the pollutants, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), CO, NO, NO2, and H2S, the degree of risk, the degree of exposure of the employees to the chemical agents, and the level of health risk were calculated. Results: The results showed that the highest hazard rate (HR) in all units was related to benzene and the lowest HR was related to NO and H2S. In the powder unit, the exposure rate (ER) and risk rate (RR) of NO2 were higher than other pollutants. Additionally, in different units, the RR of benzene was 2.23, which was the highest among the pollutants. Generally, the RR of all pollutants was very low (insignificant) and low. Conclusions: By using information related to the risks of chemical agents and results of assessments of the health risks of exposure to chemical pollutants, different occupations can be ranked in terms of exposure to chemical risk factors. This ranking can be used to prioritize the allocation of resources for control measures and reduce exposure levels to acceptable levels.