Rayon Flock: A New Cause of Respiratory Morbidity in a Card Processing Plant

Details

• Personal Author:
  Antão VCS ; Kreiss, Kathleen ; Miller, William E. ; Piacitelli, Chris A. ; Pinheiro GA
• Description:
  Background: Following employee respiratory concerns, we investigated the health effects of rayon flock exposure at a card manufacturing plant. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey including environmental evaluation, standardized questionnaires, spirometry, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity testing, and methacholine challenge testing. Results: From a total of 239 participants, 146 (61%) reported working at least 1 hr per week in areas where flock-coated cards are processed (''flock workers'') and 47 (20%) reported cleaning equipment with compressed air. These workers had generally higher prevalences of respiratory symptoms. Flock workers and employees with longer tenure at areas where flock-coated cards are processed were more likely to have restrictive impairment of lung function. Although dust and fiber samples were largely below the detection limits, peak exposures to airborne particulate occurred during cleaning with compressed air. Conclusions: Working with rayon flock and cleaning with compressed air were associated with health effects in workers at this plant. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Blood Dust Environmental Monitoring Lung Lung Diseases Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Methacholine Compounds Morbidity Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety

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• Keywords:
  Airborne-dusts Airborne-fibers Airborne-particles Author Keywords: Occupational Diseases Cross-sectional Studies Exposure-assessment Fibrous-dusts Flock Workers' Lung Industrial-environment Interstitial Lung Diseases Lung-disease Lung-function Lymphocytes Methacholines Morbidity-rates Occupational-diseases Occupational-exposure Respiratory-system-disorders Viscose Fiber

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  274-284
• Volume:
  50
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20032463
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2007 Apr; 50(4):274-284
• Contact Point Address:
  Vinicius C.S. Antao, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, Mail Stop G900.2, 1095Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  vinicius.antao@yahoo.com
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:60a7dbeb9dbc2e93afe5b5cf9ca6ef4a7e90d6824bd604ab2e38057dc99668f32234e3467863cdde2b577be7fd09b4e9ff76be237817baaed239d063d6189036
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/186417/cdc_186417_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 304.30 KB ]