Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-81-304-1361: Robertson Paper Box Company; Monteville, Connecticut

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cullen, Mark ; McManus, Kevin P.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Environmental samples were analyzed for dipropylene-glycol- monomethyl-ether (20324327) (DGME) at Robertson Paper Box Company (SIC-2752) Monteville, Connecticut in October 1981. The survey was requested on behalf of approximately 500 workers because of a possible relationship between a fatal case of aplastic anemia and exposure to DGME. Personal breathing zone and general work area air samples were taken from around printing presses. Samples were analyzed for DGME using gas chromatography. Medical studies were performed on seven males who had worked on the five color press. Health and exposure questionnaires were completed. Peripheral blood examinations and physical examinations focusing on reticuloendothelial organs were performed. Bone marrow from the posterior superior iliac crest was examined. Concentrations of DGME in air samples ranged from 3.6 to 39.0 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3). This was below the OSHA standard of 600mg/m3. Blood and physical examinations revealed no abnormality. Aspirates and cytogenic evaluation of cultured cells of bone marrow were all normal. Biopsies of marrow revealed myeloid hypoplasia and nonspecific increases in iron deposition. The authors conclude that some workers are suffering from subclinical toxicity, with glycol ethers being responsible. Substitute materials should be used, or exposure reduced.
• Subjects:
  Blood Chromatography Hematologic Tests Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Aplastic Anemia Blood-analysis Bone Marrow Injury Chromatographic-analysis Commercial Printing, Lithographic Dipropylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether Employee-exposure Ethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether Glycol Ether Hazard-Confirmed NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report OSHA Region 1

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA813041361
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Connecticut ; OSHA Region 1
• 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:
  18 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Rado, Thomas ; Waldron, James ; Robins, James ; Sparer, Judith ; Melius, James
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00133416
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB85-159804
• 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 81-304-1361, 1983 Aug ; :1-16
• CAS Registry Number:
  Dipropyleneglycol monomethylether (CAS RN 34590-94-8)
• Editor(s):
  Nordman, Cheri
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1983
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  2752 - Commercial printing, lithographic - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4e157c2c66940c4a67a8a0713a6632723f15fba18c706a19a994bd3e1c387af9c3a921d6714d7e39acc565d7362329a91aeb4f1668edda670e8c7f35f0493a91
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172912/cdc_172912_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 7.07 MB ]