Sewer Collapse and Toxic Illness in Sewer Repairmen – Ohio

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Personal Author:
  Halpin, T. J. ; Jackson, A. ; Miller, D. ; Strayer, D. ; Vanderhoof, R.
• Description:
  On February 19, 1981, a 30-foot-deep sewer in an industrial section of Cincinnati, Ohio, collapsed, bringing with it 20 tons of earth and leaving a hole 24 feet in diameter in the street. Three days later, several sewer workers were overcome by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and eye and nose irritation while repairing the collapsed drain, and had to climb out of the sewer. Four other workers also experienced eye and nose irritation and headache. The supervisor of maintenance for the Metropolitan Sewer District notified the city health department and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NlOSH). Subsequent epidemiologic investigation and environmental mapping of underground sewer systems have implicated highly acidic effluent (wastewater) and volatile organic solvents discharged from a large pigment manufacturing plant as the cause of the sewer collapse and subsequent illness in the sewer workers. City health officials immediately closed the repair site, pending further investigation. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Acids Chlorine Coloring Agents Hazardous Substances Hazardous Waste Hydrocarbons Hydrochloric Acid Maintenance Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Safety Solvents Volatile Organic Compounds

  More +
• Keywords:
  Acidity Chemicals Chlorides Environmental Contamination Environmental Factors Environmental Stress Explosive Gases Hazardous Materials Hazardous Waste Health Effects Hydrochloric Acid Maintenance Workers Manufacturing Organic Solvents Pigments Sampling Sewage Industry Sewage Treatment Sewer Gas Stoddard Solvent Toxic Effects Underground Construction VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds Volatiles Waste Disposal Systems Water Analysis

  More +
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  2 pdf pages
• Volume:
  30
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054817
• Citation:
  MMWR 1981 Mar; 30(8):89-90
• CAS Registry Number:
  1,1,1-Trichloroethane (CAS RN 71-55-6) ; Chlorine (CAS RN 7782-50-5) ; Chlorobenzene (CAS RN 108-90-7) ; Hydrochloric acid (CAS RN 7647-01-0) ; Phthalocyanine (CAS RN 574-93-6) ; Stoddard solvent (CAS RN 8052-41-3) ; Tetrachloroethylene (CAS RN 127-18-4) ; Toluene (CAS RN 108-88-3) ; Trichloroethylene (CAS RN 79-01-6) ; Xylene (CAS RN 1330-20-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1981
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e95d1c7bb599c85b6fcfbc8b5326626d0988ffc39873e7af0125b438f8e91772bc429cdefdd8a2aa4a702a7f506a213b6919eed7a38e46f02bf65b8f96210005
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183290/cdc_183290_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 337.53 KB ]