Neurologic Illness Associated with Occupational Exposure to the Solvent 1-Bromopropane – New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 2007–2008

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
• Personal Author:
  Perrone, J. ; Marcus, S. M. ; Blando, James D. ; Schill, Donald P. ; Trout, Douglas B. ; Schulte, Paul A. ; Geraci, Charles L. ; Dotson, G. Scott ; Hanley, Kevin W. ; Mead, Kenneth R. ; Myers, Deborah V. L. ; Curran, C.
• Description:
  1-Bromopropane (1-BP) (n-propyl bromide) is a solvent increasingly used as a substitute for ozone-depleting chloro-fluorocarbons and similar regulated compounds. 1-BP is used in vapor and immersion degreasing operations and other manufacturing processes, and as a solvent in industries using aerosol-applied adhesives. In some states, 1-BP is used as a solvent in dry cleaning because of restrictions on use of perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene), a possible human carcinogen. Published studies of workers exposed to 1-BP have raised concerns about occupational health risks associated with exposure. This report describes two cases involving workers exposed to 1-BP and diagnosed with clinical manifestations of neurotoxicity. The cases, when coupled with previously reported studies of workers exposed to 1-BP, illustrate potential health risks of 1-BP exposure. Clinicians and public health professionals should be alert to potential health effects among workers exposed to 1-BP, particularly in dry cleaning and other workplaces where 1-BP use might be increasing, and effective control methods to limit exposure to 1-BP should be implemented at worksites. Both cases involved neurotoxic effects that likely resulted from occupational exposure to 1-BP in the electronics and dry cleaning industries. The cases were reported to regional poison control centers in Pennsylvania (2007) and New Jersey (2008) by attending physicians who treated the affected workers. The cases were investigated by federal and state health agencies, and more in-depth investigations of the New Jersey case currently are being conducted by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and CDC. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Occupational Health Safety Solvents
• Keywords:
  Solvents; Solvent-vapor-degreasing; Solvent-vapors; Neurotoxicity; Neurotoxins; Neurotoxic-effects; Dry-cleaning-industry; Dry-cleaning-solvents; Electronics-industry
• Source:
  MMWR 2008 Dec; 57(48):1300-1302
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology ; EID - Education and Information Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  5 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Nemhauser, Jeffrey B.
• Volume:
  57
• Issue:
  48
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20034790
• Citation:
  MMWR 2008 Dec; 57(48):1300-1302
• Contact Point Address:
  J. Perrone, MD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• CAS Registry Number:
  1-Bromopropane (CAS RN 106-94-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2009
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1bf50e1a91b943d0593323659647a222132d5e72e5b2c39dbcd8b967e3478c966411af5a47e750c1e49cfdf55409cde0cdd776a2502bf487d3c3e57fe851057e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183188/cdc_183188_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 128.96 KB ]