[The level of mercapturic acids in the urine of workers in the petroleum refining industry].

Examination are carried out on 236 workers from three productions of oil-processing industry, who are exposed to the effect of hydrocarbons--saturated from the ethylene order, saturated (benzine), aromatic and sulphuric compounds--sulphur-containing organic, hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide. The purpose of the study is to establish the risk of exposure to alkylating agents, which are potentially cancerogenic and mutagenic. Leading noxa in the production of high-octane aviation benzine (production "sulfur acidic alkylation", are the sulphur containing organic compounds, hydrogen sulphide, and in some working places--hydrocarbons (benzine and aromatic); in the production of "Ethylene" and "Polypropylene" leading noxae are the saturated hydrocarbons, and the sulphur-containing organic compounds as well as the unsaturated hydrocarbons (ethylene and propylene). The mercapturic acids in urine are determined after the method of Malonova and Bardoday (1983), and the creatinine by the Böringer test. Tobacco smoking and taking of drugs is also considered when data processing. A control group of 30 persons is also examined. In the workers from the 3 enterprises the average values of mercapturic acids in smokers and non-smokers are higher than that of the control group. The differences are statistically significant in the group of non-smokers. The highest per cent of workers with increased content of mercapturic acids (above 8 mumol/mmol creatinine) is established in the production of "Polypropylene".