Request for Assistance in Reducing the Potential Risk of Developing Cancer from Exposure to Gallium Arsenide in the Microelectronics Industry

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Various methods through which exposure to gallium-arsenide (1303000) might be reduced in the microelectronics industry were discussed. While there were no reported studies showing ill effects in workers from exposure to gallium-arsenide or gallium particulates, three studies in animals indicated that gallium-arsenide dissociates into gallium (7440553) and arsenic (7440382) in biological tissue, the latter being a carcinogen. There was no evidence that gallium- arsenide behaved differently in humans. There were no regulations governing exposure levels for gallium-arsenide or gallium. NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) for arsenic was 2 micrograms/cubic meter air (microg/m3). NIOSH recommends control of worker exposure to gallium-arsenide by observing NIOSH REL for inorganic arsenic, and that concentration of gallium-arsenide in air be estimated by determining arsenic. Workers should be educated in possible hazards connected with gallium-arsenide exposure. Proper engineering controls should be installed during production of microelectronic devices where exposure to gallium-arsenide is likely. Personal protective clothing and equipment should be available to workers, and proper procedures for washing, removal of wastes, transport, and disposal of contaminated materials should be explained and carried out. Specific safety recommendations are offered for use during crystal growth, crystal puller cleaning, crystal surface grinding and sawing, and wafer polishing, backlapping, and dicing. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Arsenic Carcinogens Hazardous Substances Laboratories Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Poisoning Safety Semiconductors
• Keywords:
  Arsenic-poisoning Carcinogenesis Electronics-industry Hazardous-materials Laboratory-animals Occupational-exposure Tissue-distribution
• Series:
  NIOSH Numbered Publications
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB88100
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSDTT - Division of Standards Development and Technology Transfer ; DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00177507
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB88-188826
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 88-100, 1987 Oct; :1-10
• CAS Registry Number:
  Arsenic (CAS RN 7440-38-2) ; Gallium (CAS RN 7440-55-3) ; Gallium arsenide (CAS RN 1303-00-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1988
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:081f4fe2ae66e16f7649cffb300bd311eb1fcb67595f1d5b7a04ee2598ad16f2f6ba68affe1c7e34fc6d71ee84cf77523c4f0143f30272e88f4d531104b37258
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/209501/cdc_209501_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 399.47 KB ]