Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-83-143-1419: United States Assay Office; San Francisco, California

Details

• Personal Author:
  Belanger, Pierre L. ; Coye, Molly J.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Environmental and breathing zone samples were analyzed for metal fume particulates, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PNA), hydrogen- sulfide (7783064) (H2S), and carbon-monoxide (630080) (CO) at the United States Assay Office (SIC-9999), San Francisco, California in March and April 1983. Evaluation was requested out of concern for exposure to metal fumes from the melting of coins and possible work-related headaches, nausea, and kidney disease. Twelve workers were interviewed and the medical records of six employees working in the melting room were reviewed. Metal fumes, CO, and H2S concentrations were below all relevant standards. Two PNA compounds, fluoranthene (206440) and pyrene (129000), were detected at concentrations of respectively. There is no current standard for fluoranthene or pyrene. No pattern of medical symptoms or physical findings that were work related were found. The authors conclude that no overexposure to environmental contaminants has occurred. Recommendations include substituting the quenching oil used as a mold release with a sodium-silicate wash to eliminate PNA exposure and using an appropriate respirator in the melting room.
• Subjects:
  Environmental Exposure Hydrocarbons Metals Metal Workers Occupational Health Safety Solvents
• Keywords:
  Assay Battery Melting Breathing-zone Coin Melting Hazards-Unconfirmed HETA-83-143-1419 Industrial-exposures Metal-fumes Metal Melting Metalworking-industry NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report Nonclassifiable Establishments OSHA Region 9 Polynuclear-aromatic-hydrocarbons Renal-toxicity Renal Disease

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA831431419
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  17 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00149674
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB85-179141
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 83-143-1419, 1984 Feb ; :1-16
• CAS Registry Number:
  Hydrogen sulfide (CAS RN 7783-06-4) ; Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0) ; Fluoranthene (CAS RN 206-44-0) ; Pyrene (CAS RN 129-00-0)
• Editor(s):
  Luciano, Nancy A.
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1984
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  9999 - Nonclassifiable establishments - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6bb666201d611843a85bf7cdeed72a4a6521328b0f3286daaabe58a1cafac6fb85dcef34e85edd3426e02ae2a68f2ef4877a671c72a65627e352269f314124fc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172683/cdc_172683_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.89 MB ]