Air, Hand Wipe, and Surface Wipe Sampling for Bisphenol A (BPA) Among Workers in Industries That Manufacture and Use BPA in the United States

Details

• Personal Author:
  Arnold JE ; Christianson AL ; Clark JC ; Deddens JA ; Hines CJ ; Jackson MV ; Pretty JR
• Description:
  For decades, bisphenol A (BPA) has been used in making polycarbonate, epoxy, and phenolic resins and certain investment casting waxes, yet published exposure data are lacking for U.S. manufacturing workers. In 2013-2014, BPA air and hand exposures were quantified for 78 workers at six U.S. companies making BPA or BPA-based products. Exposure measures included an inhalable-fraction personal air sample on each of two consecutive work days (n = 146), pre- and end-shift hand wipe samples on the second day (n = 74 each), and surface wipe samples (n = 88). Potential determinants of BPA air and end-shift hand exposures (after natural log transformation) were assessed in univariate and multiple regression mixed models. The geometric mean (GM) BPA air concentration was 4.0 ug/m3 (maximum 920 ug/m3). The end-shift GM BPA hand level (26 ug/sample) was 10-times higher than the pre-shift level (2.6 ug/sample). BPA air and hand exposures differed significantly by industry and job. BPA air concentrations and end-shift hand levels were highest in the BPA-filled wax manufacturing/reclaim industry (GMAir = 48 ug/m3, GMHand-End = 130 ug/sample) and in the job of working with molten BPA-filled wax (GMAir = 43 ug/m3, GMHand-End = 180 ug/sample), and lowest in the phenolic resins industry (GMAir = 0.85 ug/m3, GMHand-End = 0.43 ug/sample) and in the job of flaking phenolic resins (GMAIR = 0.62 ug/m3, GMHand-End = 0.38 ug/sample). Determinants of increased BPA air concentration were industry, handling BPA containers, spilling BPA, and spending .50% of the shift in production areas; increasing age was associated with lower air concentrations. BPA hand exposure determinants were influenced by high values for two workers; for all other workers, tasks involving contact with BPA-containing materials and spending .50% of the shift in production areas were associated with increased BPA hand levels. Surface wipe BPA levels were significantly lower in eating/office areas (GM = 9.3 ug/100 cm2) than in production areas (GM = 140 ug/100 cm2). In conclusion, worker BPA exposure was associated with tasks and conditions affecting both inhalation and dermal exposure. The potential for BPA-related health effects among these workers is unknown. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Endocrine System Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Respiratory System Safety Skin
• Keywords:
  Air Contaminants Author Keywords: Occupational Bisphenol A Dermal Exposures Endocrine Disruption Endocrine Disruptors Exposure Assessment Exposure Determinants Inhalation Manufacturing Sampling

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• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; South Carolina
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  14
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049965
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2017 Nov; 14(11):882-897
• Contact Point Address:
  Cynthia J. Hines, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  chines@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  2,2-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (CAS RN 80-05-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0b47b4e3c68828428b9945e108615027630a8d214ab15fa91f114c2f9d98bf6a154e88accfdc4555b66b55745a8a4782fa24434f5f0cecc27bc7e96e24b349fb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210540/cdc_210540_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 948.47 KB ]