Health hazard evaluation report No. HETA 81-163-1190, GTE Sylvania, Winchester, Kentucky

Technical Report · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6445541

Frederick, L; Zey, J; Rinsky, R

On January 14, 1981, NIOSH received a request to investigate five cases of sarcoidosis which occurred over a 5-year period among 750 employees who manufacture specialty light bulbs. The medical/epidemiological evaluation consisted of interviews with the five patients, a review of their medical and personnel records, a search for commonalities among the cases, and an attempt to determine usual incidence rates for sarcoidosis in the general population. NIOSH found that only four of the five identified cases had sarcoidosis as a final diagnosis, three of which were biopsy-confirmed. The fourth had no biopsy, but the other medical findings were characteristics of sarcoidosis. Environmental sampling was conducted for halogenated gases (hydrogen bromide, methyl iodide, and dibromomethane), isopropyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, n-amyl acetate, and inorganic metals including lead, aluminum, silver, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and beryllium. Airborne concentrations for all personal exposures were well below currently acceptable limits. NIOSH found no commonalities among the group other than working at the same plant. There were no biologically significant occupational exposures, and specifically, no exposure to beryllium. We were unable to establish a casual relationship between the cases and the work environment.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6445541
• Report Number(s): PB-84-209550
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
MONITORING
PERSONNEL
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
ACETATES
ALCOHOLS
ALUMINIUM
BERYLLIUM
BROMINE COMPOUNDS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ETHANOL
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
IRON
LEAD
MAGNESIUM
METHANOL
METHYL IODIDE
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PHOSPHORUS
SILVER
SULFUR DIOXIDE
TOXICITY
ZINC
AIR POLLUTION
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHALCOGENIDES
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IODINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
METALS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC IODINE COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
560306 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)