10/14/2025: Evaluating Degreaser VOC Exposure in Auto Shops Using Air Sampling and Biomarkers

Tuesday, October 14th, 2025* Live Only

9- 10 HST | 12 - 1 PDT | 2 - 3 PM CDT | 3 - 4 EDT

Webinar Navigation

Photo of Diana Ceballos, PhD, MS, CIH

About the webinar:

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are toxic chemicals in degreasers routinely used in auto shops. This presentation will describe and share preliminary results from the Safer Degreaser Study, during which we visited auto repair shops before or after they participated in a public health intervention led by the Hazardous Waste Program, in King County, WA, which helps transition businesses from using VOC-based degreasers to safer alternatives. We aimed to characterize the exposure to VOCs typically found in degreasers by measuring VOCs in blood, urine, and exhaled breath before and after auto workers’ shifts. Additionally, we compared area and personal breathing zone concentration of these VOCs in shops that have switched to safer products to those that have not.

**This presentation will not be recorded and will be delivered live ONLY.**

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this activity, the learner will be able to:

  • Learn about health and safety concerns related to the use of degreasers

  • Identify the characteristics of safer degreasers

  • Become familiar with various occupational exposure techniques for measuring VOCs in environmental and biological samples

Speaker: Diana Ceballos, PhD, MS, CIH

Dr. Diana Ceballos is an assistant professor in the University of Washington Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. Her life’s passion is to address health disparities by identifying environmental factors that cause disease, injury or impairment. These factors range from emerging hazards related to new technologies to known hazards that are transferred to vulnerable populations, including workers in small businesses, minorities and workers in developing economies. She strives to better understand the connection between exposure to hazards in the workplace and the community, including in the home, where workers may transfer hazards to their children.

ACCREDITATION

The Center for Occupational and Environmental Health designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 Contact Hour. Participants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Certificates of Completion

Certificates of Completion will be available to webinar participants who are present for the complete, live webinar, and logged in with their registered email address. Call-in attendees are not eligible for certificates at this time - Please download the Zoom app to log in via email on your smartphone whenever possible.

In order to receive your Certificate of Completion, qualified learners must complete the post-webinar evaluation within 7 days of the webinar. A link to the evaluation will be emailed to qualified learners 24 hours after the webinar via no-reply@zoom.us. Qualified learners who submit their evaluation will receive a Certificate of Completion via email, and can also print/save the certificate from their browser after submitting their evaluation.

If you're not able to attend the live presentation, no problem! We record most presentations and will host them on our website provided we have permission to do so. Presentation recordings are not eligible for Certificates of Completion.

Register Now
Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety

About the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety

The Continuing Education and Outreach Programs offered by the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) provide workplace safety and health training, serving the training needs of occupational safety and health professionals, workers and employers in the Pacific Northwest since 1977. We provide our students with the skills and competence in occupational safety and health standards and policies, emerging health and safety issues and best practices to prevent or reduce workplace injuries and illnesses.


Learn more here. 

ACCESSIBILITY:

If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) to fully participate in this event, please contact Will Bellamy at (510) 642-8365 or wbellamy@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail) with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.