Exposure to solvents and abrasive-blasting material during the manufacture of copper-based novelty gifts

Details

• Personal Author:
  Martinez, Kenneth F. ; Mattorano, Dino A. ; McCleery, Robert E.
• Description:
  NIOSH conducted a health hazard evaluation (HHE) in response to an employee request concerning potential exposure to lacquer solvents, abrasive-blasting materials, and a patina solution. Employees reported rashes, nose sores, and hyperventilation. The facility bases many of its products on the manipulation of copper sheets and/or the use of abrasive-blasting to engrave impressions on stock materials. The finished appearance of the copper product is achieved through application of a patina solution (copper sulfate and various inorganic acids), a 2-butoxyethanol (2-BE) lacquer solution, abrasive-blasting (using aluminum oxide or small glass beads), or an acetylene/oxygen flame applied to the surface. The lacquer solutions consisting of 2-BE and methylene chloride/toluene are applied for the protection of exposed copper and copper/patina surfaces, respectively. Personal breathing zone and/or area air samples were collected for metals, respirable dust, 2-BE, inorganic acids, and methylene chloride. Real-time sampling for airborne particulates was conducted with a light-scattering aerosol spectrometer designed for particle size discrimination. Data were collected to monitor the particulates generated by distinct events during abrasive-blasting operations. Air samples indicated that methylene chloride concentrations exceeded the NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) but did not exceed any other relevant evaluation criteria. All other results were below applicable evaluation criteria. The real-time instrument measured total dust peak concentrations above 10 mg/m3 in the abrasive-blasting environment, which indicates the potential for exposures above relevant evaluation criteria. The computed mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) indicates that a majority of the mass would be deposited in the thoracic region of the respiratory system, including a sizable portion in the lower respiratory system. Therefore, the practice of wearing respirators should be continued with the existing abrasive-blasting system. NIOSH suggested modifications to the existing engineering controls, which could decrease or eliminate some personal protective equipment use during specific activities. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Chemistry Chlorine Dust Engineering Environmental Exposure Environmental Monitoring Glass Hazardous Substances Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Mass Spectrometry Metals Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety Solvents

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• Keywords:
  Abrasive-blasting Abrasives Air-sampling Aluminum-oxides Biological-effects Breathing-zone Chemical-processing Chlorides Copper-compounds Copper-refining Employee-exposure Engineering-controls Exposure-assessment Exposure-limits Glass-products Health-hazards Industrial-exposures Industrial-factory-workers Industrial-processes Inorganic-acids Mass-spectrometry Methyl-compounds Particle-aerodynamics Particulate-dust Particulates Personal-protective-equipment Respirable-dust Respirators Sampling-equipment Sampling-methods Sulfates

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• Publisher:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Virginia
• 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:
  68
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20041540
• Citation:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 20-25, 2000, Orlando, Florida. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2000 May; :68
• CAS Registry Number:
  2-Butoxyethanol (CAS RN 111-76-2) ; Acetylene (CAS RN 74-86-2) ; Alumina (CAS RN 1344-28-1) ; Copper (CAS RN 7440-50-8) ; Dichloromethane (CAS RN 75-09-2) ; Toluene (CAS RN 108-88-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2000
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 20-25, 2000, Orlando, Florida
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cb4a84636e5c7e28add8e89cb59009d1802bcbaf09babb56a565da0936942ea2f56334657624ca06d386355f8ccc07cc3343445eae4a7d2916be2ddcdafdf951
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/194082/cdc_194082_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.01 MB ]