Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 85-323-1677, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio

Technical Report · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5043969

Hunninen, K

An environmental survey was conducted in the photography laboratory of the Learning Resources Support Services at Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio on July 10 and 11, 1985 to assess exposures to reagents and byproducts of processes used. The evaluation was requested by District 925, Service Employees International Union for the investigation of worker complaints of dizziness, nausea, headaches and other symptoms they believed were related to photographic developing and printing processes. Air samples were collected for acetic acid, sulfuric acid, ammonia, formaldehyde, and sulfur dioxide; a personal breathing zone sample for acetic acid and sulfuric acid was collected on a laboratory worker over a six-hour period. The time-weighted average exposure was 0.2 milligram per cubic meter (mg/M/sup 3/) for acetic acid (NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) of 25mg/M/sup 3/) and 0.02mg/M/sup 3/ for sulfuric acid (REL of 1mg/M/sup 3/). Short term exposure to ammonia was about 1 part per million (ppm) (REL of 50ppm). The other compounds were not detected in breathing zone samples. The existing ventilation system was evaluated. The author concludes that workers were not overexposed to substances used in photographic developing and printing. Inadequate fresh outside air was being supplied and local exhaust ventilation was not effective. Recommendations are made regarding general work-room air quality and work practices for the laboratory.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5043969
• Report Number(s): PB-86-222387/XAB; HETA-85-323-1677
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
LABORATORIES
PHOTOGRAPHY
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
ACETIC ACID
AIR POLLUTION
AMMONIA
FORMALDEHYDE
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFURIC ACID
TOXICITY
ALDEHYDES
BUILDINGS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SAFETY
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
552000 - Public Health