Industrial hygiene surveys were conducted at three hot dip galvanizing plants to determine occupational exposure to nickel, zinc, and lead. All three plants employed the "dry process" and used 2% nickel, by weight, in their zinc baths. A total of 32 personal and area air samples were taken. The air samples were analyzed for nickel, zinc, and lead. Some samples were also analyzed for various species of nickel (i.e., metallic, soluble, and oxidic). The airborne concentrations observed for nickel and its three species, zinc, and lead at the three plants were all well below the current and proposed threshold limit values recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
A study was undertaken to evaluate the suitability of four types of amine modified charcoal filter canisters (cartridge) for use with gas masks (respirators) by measuring emissions of triethylamine (TEA) and diethylamine (DEA). Sampling and analysis methods for TEA and DEA were validated and optimized to ensure accurate measurement at low levels. A total of 88 air samples were taken by the validated methods to measure concentrations of TEA and DEA emitted from gas mask canisters during simulated use in an environmental chamber. Samples were collected on a mannequin equipped with a breather pump and also on human volunteers. Very low levels of TEA and moderately low levels of DEA emissions were measured during the simulations. The C7 (KOH-TEA-BPL/ASC3T) gas mask canister giving the lowest emission has been selected for use by the Canadian Forces. The potential health hazard from TEA and DEA for soldiers using the gas masks, under normal conditions, based on estimated use of one to two days per month, for a maximum of 4 hours/day for a normal working lifetime, was considered to be minimal and acceptable.
Occupational exposures to benzene and total hydrocarbons (THC) in the Canadian upstream petroleum industry are described in this article. A total of 1547 air samples taken by 5 oil companies in various sectors (i.e., conventional oil/gas, conventional gas, heavy oil processing, drilling and pipelines) were evaluated and summarized. The data includes personal long- and short-term samples and area long-term samples. The percentage of samples over the occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 3.2 mg/m3 or one part per million for benzene, for personal long-term samples ranges from 0 to 0.7% in the different sectors, and area long-term samples range from 0 to 13%. For short-term personal samples, the exceedance for benzene is at 5% with respect to the OEL of 16 mg/m3 or five parts per million in the conventional gas sector and none in the remaining sectors. THC levels were not available for all sectors and had limited data points in others. The percentage exceedance of the OEL of 280 mg/m3 or 100 parts per million for THC as gasoline ranged from 0 to 2.6% for personal long-term samples. It is recommended that certain operations such as glycol dehydrators be carefully monitored and that a task-based monitoring program be included along with the traditional long- and short-term personal exposure sampling.
A historical prospective study of cancer in lamp manufacturing workers in one plant was conducted. All men and women who worked for a total of at least 6 months and were employed at some time between 1960 and 1975 were included. Work histories were abstracted and subjects were divided according to whether they had worked in the coiling and wire drawing area (CWD). Cancer morbidity from 1964 to 1982 was ascertained via the provincial registry, and was compared with the site-specific incidence in Ontario, adjusting for age, sex and calendar period. Of particular interest were primary breast and gynecological cancers in women. The cancers of a priori concern were significantly increased in women in CWD, but not elsewhere in the plant. The excess was greatest in those with more than 5 yr exposure (in CWD) and more than 15 yr since first working in CWD, with eight cases of breast and gynecological cancers observed in this category compared with 2.67 expected. Only three cancers occurred in men in CWD. Environmental measurements had not been made in the past and little information was available on substances used in the 1940s and 1950s, the period when the women with the highest excess began employment. It is known that methylene chloride and trichlorethylene have been used, but not enough is known about the dates and patterns of use to draw any conclusions about their relationship with the increase in disease.
Program in Occupational Health and Environmental Medicine, McMaster University, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8N 3Z5. murray.finkelstein@utoronto.ca
To study mortality in a cohort of members of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada and to compare results with two previous proportional mortality studies.
A cohort of 25,285 workers who entered the trade after 1949 was assembled from records of the international head office. Mortality was ascertained by linkage to the Canadian Mortality Registry at Statistics Canada. Standardised mortality ratios were computed using Ontario general population mortality rates as the reference.
There were significant increases in lung cancer mortality rates (SMR 1.27; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.42). Increased lung cancer risk was observed among plumbers, pipefitters, and sprinkler fitters. Increased risk was observed among workers joining the Union as late as the 1970s. A random effects meta-analysis of this study and the two PMR studies found significant increases in oesophageal (RR 1.24; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.53), lung (RR 1.31; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.44), and haematological/lymphatic (RR 1.21; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.35) malignancies.
The mortality pattern is consistent with the effects of occupational exposure to asbestos. Increased risk due to other respiratory carcinogens such as welding fume cannot be excluded. There are substantial amounts of asbestos in place in industrial and commercial environments. The education and training of workers to protect themselves against inhalation hazards will be necessary well into the future.
Notes
Cites: J Occup Med. 1980 Mar;22(3):183-97365557
Cites: Can J Public Health. 1982 Jan-Feb;73(1):39-467074517
Cites: Int J Epidemiol. 1986 Mar;15(1):134-73754239
Cites: J Occup Med. 1994 May;36(5):516-258027876
Cites: Am J Ind Med. 1986;10(1):73-893740068
Cites: Can J Public Health. 1989 Jan-Feb;80(1):54-72702547
Seven international silica (alpha-quartz) standards were examined for relative purity to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1878 Respirable alpha-quartz by Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectrophotometry (FT-IR). The standards examined have been used in North America, the UK, Australia and Germany. The 189 samples analyzed included NIST-SRM 1878, Min-U-Sil 5, Ottawa Silica Sand, Sikron F-600, A9950 (AUST 1), DQ12-Robock, DQ12-Bergbau. Size distributions of the standards were determined by Coulter Counter to be broadly similar with equivalent spherical volume median diameter ranging between 1.2 and 3 microm. The results showed the standards to differ by as much as 30% in relative purity. Consequently, an internationally agreed upon calibration standard is urgently needed. Min-U-Sil 5 based NIST-SRM 1878 or Sikron F-600 are the two most likely candidates. Any agreed standard must have a well characterized size distribution and closely match the respirable dust criteria. It should also be studied by both infrared spectrophotometry and X-ray diffraction techniques.
Occupational exposures to the 55 hydrocarbon components of gasoline and petroleum products were measured at the bulk terminals and agencies of six Ontario petroleum companies during the summer of 1986. A total of 82 long-term (full-shift) and 111 short-term personal samples were taken over 3 months. The data, expressed as concentrations in milligrams per cubic meter, were highly variable and appeared to fit the lognormal distribution well. Full-shift exposures of bulk terminal drivers, agency drivers, and plantmen to total hydrocarbons (THC), computed as an n-hexane equivalent, and other hydrocarbon components for which exposure limits exist can be expected to exceed their respective 1986-1987 threshold limit value-time-weighted average (TLV-TWA) no greater than 1% of the time on the basis of the lognormal model. The short-term THC exposures of agency truck drivers can be expected to exceed the 1986-1987 TLV-short-term exposure limits about 7% of the time while top-loading and more than 17% while off-loading. For benzene, the short-term exceedance percentages are 1% and 4% for top- and off-loading operations, respectively. For long-term benzene exposures, up to 69% of the assessments can be expected to exceed the 1990-1991 proposed TLV-TWA of 0.3 mg/m3 (0.1 ppm). The full-shift hydrocarbon exposures of agency drivers were significantly higher than those for bulk terminal drivers. At the bulk terminals, the short-term hydrocarbon exposures during top-loading were significantly higher than during bottom-loading.
Studies of airborne asbestos fiber concentrations associated with various operations of the drywall taping process have been undertaken in the province of Alberta, Canada. The results show that mixing, sanding and sweeping created high levels of airborne asbestos dust. The measured concentrations were frequently in excess of occupational health standards. Sanding in particular was assessed the most hazardous operation. The results are discussed in light of present and proposed Occupational Health Standards, and in terms of its implications for other workers, household contacts, and consumer's risk. Measures to reduce and control the health hazards associated with the process are described.
An epidemiological investigation was carried out to determine the relationship between silicosis in hardrock miners in Ontario and cumulative exposure to silica (free crystalline silica--alpha quartz) dust. This second report describes a side-by-side air-sampling program used to derive a konimeter/gravimetric silica conversion curve. A total of 2,360 filter samples and 90,000 konimeter samples were taken over 2 years in two mines representing the ore types gold and uranium, both in existing conditions as well as in an experimental stope in which dry drilling was used to simulate the high dust conditions of the past. The method of calculating cumulative respirable silica exposure indices for each miner is reported.
