Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 83-458-1800, Tropicana Products, Bradenton, Florida

Technical Report · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5480424

Salisburg, S A; Bennett, D E

In response to requests from Tropicana Products, Inc., Bradenton, Florida and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Washington, D.C., an evaluation was made of possible exposure to ultraviolet-cured printing inks during citrus-juice bottling. A group of 71 workers from the area of the facility where the operation occurred were interviewed by a medical officer. A group of 43 workers from another area were interviewed and served as comparisons. Concentrations of airborne organic vapors released from the wash solvents and printing ink were determined. Patch tests were conducted using components of the ink on workers from each group. Vapors of the following solvents were detected at levels below those considered hazardous: toluene, xylene, acetone, isopropanol, a series of alkanes, and 2-butoxyethanol. An overexposure was determined to exist for third shift workers involved in cleaning the printing machines using UVW80 wash solvent. Exposure levels for the shift to alkyl substituted benzenes exceeded 25 parts per million. The only ink component to give a positive patch test as a skin sensitizer among two workers was trimethylol-propane-triacrylate. The authors recommend that an ink wash solvent be found for use which contained a lower percentage of aromatic hydrocarbons. If this is not possible, then improvements to the ventilation system are needed and respiratory equipment should be worn.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5480424
• Report Number(s): PB-88-126636/XAB; HETA-83-458-1800
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
ACRYLATES
AIR POLLUTION
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
FLUIDS
FOOD INDUSTRY
GASES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INDUSTRY
INSPECTION
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
POLLUTION
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SAFETY
SOLVENTS
TOXICITY
VAPORS
VENTILATION