Methylene chloride survey report, General Foods Corporation, Maxwell House Division, Houston, Texas, Task III.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cohen J
• Description:
  Occupational exposure to methylene-chloride (75092) was studied. An industrial hygiene survey was conducted at the General Foods Corporation factory in Houston, Texas, to determine methylene- chloride concentrations. Breathing zone samples were taken with a charcoal tubes and sampling pump assembly and an organic vapor analyzer for about 8 hours on all shifts, along with area samples of coffee dust and carbon-monoxide (630080). The range of 8 hour methylene-chloride exposure concentrations varied from 0.3 parts per million (ppm) to 33.2ppm, with an average concentration of 2.9ppm. The highest exposure concentration was for the process operator job category (mean concentration 5.1ppm). Extractor operators had an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA) exposure from 0.42 to 33.2ppm (mean concentration 2.4ppm). Evaporator and caffeine dryer operators were exposed to an average concentration of 2ppm with coffee handlers having the lowest average concentration of 1.8ppm. Exposures of general laborers varied from 0.6 to 24.9ppm with a mean concentration of 2.8ppm. Respirable and total coffee dust samples were below 1 milligram per cubic meter of dust and only trace amounts of carbon-monoxide were found. The authors conclude that although measurable amounts of methylene-chloride exist in the factory, the TWA exposure of workers is well below the current OSHA standard of 500ppm. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Monitoring Food-Processing Industry Hazardous Substances Hydrocarbons Occupational Health Safety Surveys And Questionnaires
• Keywords:
  NIOSH-Contract; Contract-210-76-0158; Chlorinated-hydrocarbons; Health-surveys; Air-sampling; Toxic-gases; Food-processing-workers
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Final Contract Report
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-60
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00122926
• Citation:
  NIOSH 1979 Feb; :1-60
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0) ; Dichloromethane (CAS RN 75-09-2)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1979
• Performing Organization:
  SRI International, Menlo Park, California
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  SRI International, Menlo Park, California, NIOSH, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/241450/cdc_241450_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]