Surveillance of Occupational Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds at Gas Stations: A Scoping Review Protocol

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Apr 23;21(5):518. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21050518.

Abstract

Health surveillance guides public policies, allows for the monitoring of occupational exposures that may cause health risks, and can prevent work-related diseases. The scoping review protocol herein is designed to map studies on the surveillance of occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in gas stations and identify the governmental agencies and public health measures in different countries. This review protocol is based on the Joanna Briggs Institute manual and guided by the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. It includes research articles, theses, dissertations, and official documents on surveillance measures for occupational exposure to VOCs (i.e., benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene) in gas stations from different countries. All languages and publication dates will be considered, and a spreadsheet will be used to extract and analyze qualitative and quantitative data. The final version will present the main surveillance measures implemented, responsible entities, results, challenges, limitations, and potential gaps in gas stations.

Keywords: benzene; ethylbenzene; gas station worker; gasoline; monitoring; occupational exposure; public health surveillance; toluene; xylene.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants, Occupational / analysis
  • Environmental Monitoring* / methods
  • Humans
  • Occupational Exposure* / analysis
  • Review Literature as Topic
  • Volatile Organic Compounds* / analysis

Substances

  • Volatile Organic Compounds
  • Air Pollutants, Occupational