Toxicity of xylene in occupationally exposed workers: A high-performance liquid chromatography analysis

BACKGROUND: Xylene is one of the most commonly used solvents in industrial and medical technologies. Several health hazards of xylene have been documented in literature. Workers in certain forces appear to have the greatest potential for exposure to high concentrations of xylene – histopathology technicians and painters are two such groups. This study was undertaken with the aim to determine the level of xylene exposure and the various systemic health effects among these groups. METHODOLOGY: The study was performed by analyzing the urine samples of the participants for methylhippuric acid, the established biomarker of xylene with the aid of high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The work hours per week of the occupationally exposed participants were statistically analyzed with that of the excretory values of the metabolites of xylene, and the P value was found to be highly significant. Various side effects of xylene including respiratory, dermatological, neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms were observed among the study groups.