479 Agronomy Research 11 (2), 479–486, 2013 Management of health hazards during shale oil handling A. Traumann, P. Tint * , O. Järvik and V. Oja Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate 5, EE19086 Tallinn, Estonia; * Correspondence: piia.tint@ttu.ee Abstract. The current paper describes the investigations in Tallinn University of Technology of the hazardous gaseous phase during handling of shale fuel oil. The combined-method gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for determination of the gaseous components evaporating from the shale fuel oil during handling. Parallel measurements were made using Dräger tubes. The model for determination of risk levels to the workers’ health is compiled. The occupational illness stages are developed using statistical data of diagnoses made by the occupational health doctors. In the case of benzene, xylene, toluene and phenol, the main health impairments are divided into two different groups – irritating and neurotoxic effects. According to the proposed model, the exposure to toluene and xylene poses a justified risk (risk level II), benzene and phenol an unjustified risk (risk level III). Without any additional control measures applied, the risk for occupational diseases caused by these chemicals is significant. Key words: shale fuel oil, gaseous phase hazardousness, occupational health. INTRODUCTION Based on the WEC 2007 report, Estonia was the world’s largest producer of shale oil, producing 345,000 ton of shale oil per year. Approximately 8,000 ton of shale oil was utilised for domestic electricity generation; 98,000 ton of oil for heat generation and the remaining 222,000 ton was exported (WEC, 2007). Investigations of oil shale for energetic use started in Tallinn University of Technical (TUT) at the beginning of the 1920s. At the present time the Estonian government invests in the use of oil shale in the form of oil. It is used as boiler fuel in houses, might also be used in cars, vessels and other applications are possible. The current paper describes the investigations in Tallinn University of Technology of the hazardous gaseous phase during handling of shale fuel oil. The gaseous phase of shale fuel oil is investigated at different temperatures. In the local boiler enterprise, the temperature in the storage tanks room is approximately 27 °C; during the loading the temperature is ~50 °C; in the boiler systems room where the workers deal with shale fuel oil the temperature is 70 °C (Al-Sharrad et al 2010). The aim of the study is the qualitative valuation of the hazardous gaseous components evaporating from the shale fuel oil at handling temperatures (20–70 °C) with chemical methods and the determination of their concentration in the air of the work environment with Dräger-tubes express method. The hazardousness of the gaseous components has to be determined as these gases are important components in the risk assessment model (Fig. 2).