Styrene-Associated Health Outcomes at a Windblade Manufacturing Plant

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Am J Ind Med
• Personal Author:
  McCague, Anna-Binney ; Cox-Ganser, Jean M. ; Harney, Joshua M. ; Alwis, K. Udeni ; Blount, Benjamin C. ; Cummings, Kristin J. ; Edwards, Nicole ; Kreiss, Kathleen
• Description:
  Background
  
  Health risks of using styrene to manufacture windblades for the green energy sector are unknown.
  
  Methods
  
  Using data collected from 355 (73%) current windblade workers and regression analysis, we investigated associations between health outcomes and styrene exposure estimates derived from urinary styrene metabolites.
  
  Results
  
  The median current styrene exposure was 53.6 mg/g creatinine (interquartile range: 19.5–94.4). Color blindness in men and women (standardized morbidity ratios 2.3 and 16.6, respectively) was not associated with exposure estimates, but was the type previously reported with styrene. Visual contrast sensitivity decreased and chest tightness increased (odds ratio 2.9) with increasing current exposure. Decreases in spirometric parameters and FeNO, and increases in the odds of wheeze and asthma-like symptoms (odds ratios 1.3 and 1.2, respectively) occurred with increasing cumulative exposure.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Despite styrene exposures below the recommended 400 mg/g creatinine, visual and respiratory effects indicate the need for additional preventative measures in this industry.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adult Aged Asthma, Occupational Color Vision Defects Contrast Sensitivity Creatinine Female Humans Male Manufacturing Industry Middle Aged Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Regression Analysis Respiration Disorders Spirometry Styrene Vision Disorders Young Adult

  More +
• Keywords:
  Color Vision Defects Contrast Sensitivity Occupational Exposure Spirometry Styrene
• Source:
  Am J Ind Med. 58(11):1150-1159
• Pubmed ID:
  26305283
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4618383
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  58
• Issue:
  11
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:45ae81512f9eaa4ac88b893081bdddbb6103eed87465f72b31e073d7c2655ec89752d77743d9f3a2f1b87103e1cc359d365f985ddcaa4b0949218f77f747b355
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/35314/cdc_35314_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 258.26 KB ]