Assessment of Spray Polyurethane Foam Worker Exposure to Organophosphate Flame Retardants Through Measures in Air, Hand Wipes, and Urine

Details

• Personal Author:
  Calafat, Antonia M. ; Chen I-C ; Christianson A ; Estill, Cheryl F. ; Jayatilaka N ; La Guardia MJ ; Lu J ; Mayer, Alexander C. ; Ospina, Maria ; Phillips K ; Slone J ; Streicher R
• Description:
  Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP, also referenced as TCIPP), a flame retardant used in spray polyurethane foam insulation, increases cell toxicity and affects fetal development. Spray polyurethane foam workers have the potential to be exposed to TCPP during application. In this study, we determined exposure to TCPP and concentrations of the urinary biomarker bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCPP) among 29 spray polyurethane foam workers over 2 work days. Work was conducted at residential or commercial facilities using both open-cell (low density) and closed-cell (high density) foam. Study participants provided two personal air samples (Day 1 and Day 2), two hand wipe samples (Pre-shift Day 2 and Post-shift Day 2), and two spot urine samples (Pre-shift Day 1 and Post-shift Day 2). Bulk samples of cured spray foam were also analyzed. Sprayers were found to have significantly higher TCPP geometric mean (GM) concentration in personal air samples (87.1 µg/m3), compared to helpers (30.2 µg/m3; p = 0.025). A statistically significant difference was observed between TCPP pre- and post-shift hand wipe GM concentrations (p = 0.004). Specifically, TCPP GM concentration in post-shift hand wipe samples of helpers (106,000 ng/sample) was significantly greater than pre-shift (27,300 ng/sample; p < 0.001). The GM concentration of the urinary biomarker BCPP (23.8 µg/g creatinine) was notably higher than the adult male general population (0.159 µg/g creatinine, p < 0.001). Urinary BCPP GM concentration increased significantly from Pre-shift Day 1 to Post-shift Day 2 for sprayers (p = 0.013) and helpers (p = 0.009). Among bulk samples, cured open-cell foam had a TCPP GM concentration of 9.23% by weight while closed-cell foam was 1.68%. Overall, post-shift BCPP urine concentrations were observed to be associated with TCPP air and hand wipe concentrations, as well as job position (sprayer vs. helper). Spray polyurethane foam workers should wear personal protective equipment including air-supplied respirators, coveralls, and gloves during application. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomarkers Environmental Monitoring Occupational Health Safety Urine
• Keywords:
  Air Samples Author Keywords: Exposure Assessment Exposure Assessment Flame Retardants OFRs Organophosphate Flame Retardants Polyurethane Foams SPF Sprayers Spraying Operations Spray Polyurethane Foam Sprays TCIPP TCPP TDCPP

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• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; North Carolina ; 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:
  477-488
• Volume:
  16
• Issue:
  7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055955
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2019 Jul; 16(7):477-488
• Contact Point Address:
  Cheryl Fairfield Estill, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, MS R-14, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
• Email:
  CLF4@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (CAS RN 13674-84-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• 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:a628afd5c2bede5caea3ef971dc1cafff7f57a56933bc1e89de017c87f763bfa0a379c6ffa9c3051c4dd82a850e8c890b00ca3fa3c5ae6c9f052b4b5dae81c94
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213702/cdc_213702_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.01 MB ]