Health Hazard Evaluation Determination Report HE 79-39-641: Novamont Corporation: Kenova, West Virginia

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gorman, Richard W. ; Schwartz, Eugene
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Environmental sampling was conducted and medical questionnaires were distributed to workers at the Novamont Corporation (SIC-2821) in Kenova, West Virginia on February 7 to 9, and June 11 to 13, 1979 to determine if exposures to polypropylene (9003070) powder, methanol (67561), and heptane (142825) were related to chronic neurologic disease among 13 employees. The evaluation request came from an authorized employee representative. Heptane and methanol were undetected in liquid bulk samples. A portion of the polypropylene powder was of respirable size (less than 10 microns in size). Heptane and methanol in personal and area air samples were below OSHA standards of 500 and 200 parts per million for an 8 hour time weighted average, respectively. Predominant health complaints were of hypertension, and numbness and stiffness of the limbs. Neurologic symptoms varied among the workers. One man reported a 7 year history of blurred vision following methanol exposure. Deficiencies in noise control and respiratory protection were noted. The authors conclude that the neurologic symptoms were probably unrelated to toxic exposure, but the case of impaired vision was related to methanol exposure. Pigments used to color the product may have neurotoxic effects. The authors recommend control of solvent vapors, improved housekeeping, respiratory protection, and noise control
  
  evaluation of color pigment exposures
  
  and medical surveillance. [Description provided by NIOSH]
  
  
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Carcinogens Dust Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Nervous System Diseases Occupational Health Particulate Matter Plastics Safety Solvents Ventilation

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• Keywords:
  Air-contaminants Airborne-dusts Chemical-factory-workers Chronic Neurologic Disease Data Hazard-Confirmed Heptane HHE-79-39-641 Methanol Neurological-effects NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation OSHA Region 3 Plastic-materials-and-synthetics Polymer Powder Solvent

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE7939641
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  West Virginia ; Kenova (WV) ; OSHA Region 3
• 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:
  22 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Fine, Larry ; Baker, Edward L. ; Schulte, Paul A. ; Morris, Linda
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00092903
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB80-163199
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 79-39-641, 1979 Dec ; :1-25
• CAS Registry Number:
  Polypropylene (CAS RN 9003-07-0) ; Methanol (CAS RN 67-56-1) ; n-Heptane (CAS RN 142-82-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1980
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  2821 - Plastics materials and resins - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ff959850058d1e75063349ec343295a5c5d956e7884edbe74017fe5b34265efd414f43029ff015a467a71e8817371ec33d347b0b93f095bbc78a29aa065c18b8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/173708/cdc_173708_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.01 MB ]