[Study of a matrix for the evaluation and prediction of occupational benzene exposure]

Aim of the study was to assess the occupational exposure to benzene by mean of a job-exposure matrix, which classified job titles according to the level of exposure to benzene. This study consisted of 3 parts: (i) the analysis of the literature which takes into account the biological and environmental monitoring studies of workers exposed to benzene, (ii) the statistical analysis (cluster join-analysis) of biological monitoring data leading to the development of the job-exposure matrix, (iii) the validation of the matrix. The job-exposure matrix allows the estimate of the exposure to benzene according to job and is suggested as a tool to be used when environmental monitoring data are not available.