Evaluation of Disposable Protective Garments Against Epoxy Resin Permeation and Penetration from Anti-Corrosion Coatings

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bello A ; Bello D ; Mellette MP ; Woskie S ; Xue Y ; Yost M
• Description:
  Introduction: Epoxy-based resin formulations are a frequent cause of allergic and irritant contact dermatitis in the construction and painting industries. Cases of epoxy resin contact dermatitis continue to persist across many sectors and are likely attributable to the growing use of epoxy products, including epoxy-based anti-corrosion coatings and inadequate skin protection. There are no published performance data against epoxy resins for garment materials and gloves to guide proper material selection in the workplace. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the resistance of 5 protective garment materials against permeation and penetration by bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and its higher oligomers found commonly in epoxy-based anti-corrosion coatings. Methods: Five disposable garment materials were evaluated for resistance to bisphenol A diglycidyl ether monomers and oligomers during contact with epoxy-based anti-corrosion coatings, including latex gloves, nitrile gloves, Tyvek coveralls, polypropylene/polyethylene (PP/PE) coveralls, and a cotton T-shirt. A permeation test cell system was used to evaluate each garment material against an epoxy-based zinc-rich primer and an epoxy-based intermediate coating using a realistic application method. Glass fiber filters were used to collect permeating and penetrating epoxy resin during a 120-min test period. Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether quantification was performed with high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Paint loading, coating thickness, and homogeneity were assessed on polytetrafluoroethylene filters sprayed in series in permeation test cells. Results: Latex gloves provided the least resistance to permeation by BADGE in coating formulations, with a maximum cumulative permeation over the 2-h test interval of 21.7 ng cm-2 with the primer and 513.8 ng cm-2 with the intermediate coating product. Nitrile gloves were not permeated by either coating formulation. The Tyvek coveralls provided greater protection as compared to the PP/PE coveralls. The cotton T-shirt was penetrated by bisphenol A diglycidyl ether more frequently than any of the tested garment materials and resulted in a maximum cumulative penetration of 128 ng cm-2 with the primer and 28.0 ng cm-2 with the intermediate coating. Conclusion: Although all the garment materials evaluated during this study provided sufficient protection to prevent cumulative permeation in excess of the established acceptable permeation thresholds, the use of nitrile gloves and Tyvek coverall is highly recommended to minimize skin exposure to bisphenol A diglycidyl ether. We recommend cotton T-shirts to be used under Tyvek coveralls as a secondary layer of skin protection and for added comfort, but not as a primary protection layer. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Occupational Health Paint Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Allergic Contact Dermatitis BADGE Construction Construction Industry Contact Dermatitis Epoxy Coatings Epoxy Resins Gloves Painters Penetration Permeation Personal Protective Equipment PPE Protective Clothing Skin Protective Clothing

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• ISSN:
  2398-7308
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  280-294
• Volume:
  68
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069175
• Citation:
  Ann Work Expo Health 2024 Apr; 68(3):280-294
• Contact Point Address:
  Dhimiter Bello, Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences, 883 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
• Email:
  Dhimiter_Bello@uml.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of Work Exposures and Health
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:dab527b11b5e5783d525c14a27ab40e229a9bf51ccc0665da0019b7388dcbd64a0b0347e63969a7840e7184192af3ae37eb276f9c29d362be64d9669a06f6a74
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207707/cdc_207707_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.76 MB ]