Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 86-456-1877, South Texas Nuclear Project, Wadsworth, Texas

Technical Report · Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6737499

Sinks, T H; Hartle, R W

An evaluation was made of an outbreak of dermatitis among workers at the South Texas Nuclear Project construction site, Wadsworth, Texas. The dermatitis occurred ten times more frequently among carpenters than other laborers, with the incidence in 1986 being 250% greater than it was in 1985. Some workers demonstrated pruritic, macular/papular lesions. Carpenters working on the inside of the power-project buildings had a higher incidence of skin disease than those employed on the outside of the buildings. Samples of plywood and lumber treated with fire-retardant indicated that they contained 3 and 5% phosphate, respectively. Arsenic was not detected but formaldehyde was detected at 59 parts per million. General environmental air samples were taken with no evidence found of airborne phosphate, melamine, dicyandiamide, or formaldehyde. Concentrations of total particulates ranged from 0.1 to 0.6mg/m/sup 3/. The authors conclude that the workers were probably suffering from a contact dermatitis. The authors recommend specific precautions.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6737499
• Report Number(s): PB-88-237318/XAB; HETA-86-456-1877
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
BUILDING MATERIALS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
PARTICULATES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
PWR TYPE REACTORS
DERMATITIS
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
TOXICITY
AIR POLLUTION
DISEASES
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
PARTICLES
POLLUTION
REACTORS
SKIN DISEASES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
210200* - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
500200 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
552000 - Public Health