{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,31]],"date-time":"2026-01-31T18:29:53Z","timestamp":1769884193081,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]],"date-time":"2026-01-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769644800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100016341","name":"Korea University Guro Hospital","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100016341","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100016989","name":"Korea University Medicine","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["K2512651"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K2512651"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100016989","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Toxics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: Energy-based transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) generates surgical smoke that may contain hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), yet surgeon breathing-zone exposure during transurethral surgery remains insufficiently characterized. (2) Methods: We conducted a prospective paired-exposure study during 28 TURBT procedures over 10 operating days using personal sampling at the surgeon\u2019s breathing zone and simultaneous intraoperative background sampling at three predefined locations (~1.5 m from the surgeon). VOCs were measured by active sampling onto Tenax TA sorbent tubes followed by thermal desorption Gas Chromatography\u2013Mass Spectrometry (GC\u2013MS), and formaldehyde was measured by 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) cartridges with high-performance liquid chromatography\/ultraviolet detection (HPLC\/UV). Breathing-zone versus background contrasts were summarized as paired geometric mean ratios (GMRs), and a dose index was calculated as concentration \u00d7 operative time (\u00b5g\u00b7h\/m3). (3) Results: Breathing-zone concentrations consistently exceeded background levels, including total VOCs (GMR 4.31; 95% CI 2.92\u20136.38), \u03a3BTEXS (sum of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and styrene; GMR 2.10; 1.69\u20132.60), and styrene (GMR 8.51; 6.25\u201311.60); formaldehyde showed a smaller but significant elevation (GMR 1.20; 1.07\u20131.35). \u03a3BTEXS dose increased with operative time (Spearman \u03c1 = 0.80, p &lt; 0.001) and resection mass where available (\u03c1 = 0.62, p = 0.0038; n = 20) and scaled with operative time (\u03b2 = 0.86; R2 = 0.69; n = 28). (4) Conclusions: TURBT is associated with marked enrichment of aromatic VOCs in the surgeon\u2019s breathing zone, supporting routine implementation of effective source-level smoke evacuation and filtration to reduce occupational exposure.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/toxics14020130","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]],"date-time":"2026-01-29T10:56:34Z","timestamp":1769684194000},"page":"130","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Breathing-Zone Exposure to Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds in Surgical Smoke During Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor: A Prospective Paired Monitoring Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-7393-2936","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Seon Beom","family":"Jo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 08308, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1233-5951","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sun Tae","family":"Ahn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 08308, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1232-2598","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mi Mi","family":"Oh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 08308, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Soo Ho","family":"Shim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Blue squad Co., Ltd., Gangneung 25601, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cheong Mo","family":"Ahn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Blue squad Co., Ltd., Gangneung 25601, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Seul Gi","family":"Oh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Blue squad Co., Ltd., Gangneung 25601, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2228-0640","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jong Wook","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 08308, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"100077","article-title":"A Systematic Review of the Harmful Effects of Surgical Smoke Inhalation on Operating Room Personnel","volume":"6","author":"Dixon","year":"2023","journal-title":"Health Sci. 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