Journal of

Background: Exposure to some volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene cause adverse effects on organs and nervous system and moreover causes spread of diseases such as cancer , leukemia which would result in increasing  medical expenses. This study is aimed to detect and measure BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) in air and compare it with recommended standards for hospital.

Materials and methods: This study is a descriptive , cross - sectional study in which critical sectors of Imam Hossein hospital such as pathology and emergency had been examined initially.Air samples had been provided by  using activated charcoal.During the next phase , identifying the pollutants and determining their amount had been done by using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and flame detectors.

Results: In areas such as  parts of the wards, operating room, emergency room and laboratory pollutants benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene had been identified .The toluene concentration of in waste elimination , landry and pathology parts had been observed at  0/1455 ppm, 0/1087 ppm and 0/215 ppm Respectively.The comparison of these pollutants with threshold limit value (TLV), indicates standard condition.

Conclusions:This study shows that selected pollutants exist in all parts of this hospital. Using control measures such as installing vapor recovery systems and monitoring the air of these areas can be useful in reducing the amount of pollutants.