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A small group (n=12) of military white smok munition workers provided blood plasma during a production break (S I) and after five weeks' production (S II) of a hexachloroethane (HCE)/titanium dioxide formula. Plasma was also obtained from a sex and age matched control group (n=12) and a group (n=13) of previously HCE-exposed workers, respectively. HCE in plasma (P-HCE) was determined with gas chromatography and electron capture detection. No HCE was found in the plasma samples from the two control groups. In the HCE exposed group the mean (± SD) P-HCE level increased almost two orders of magnitude from S I (0.08 t 0.14 μg/l) to S 11(7.30 ± 6.04μg/l) despite efforts to minimize the internal dose. Biological monitoring of HCE could be useful in occupational hygiene.

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Seldén, A., Nygren, M., Kvarnlöf, A. et al. Biological monitoring of hexachloroethane. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 65 (Suppl 1), S111–S114 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381319

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