Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 84-405-1717, NIOSH Ridge Building, Cincinnati, Ohio

Technical Report · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:6918393

Reed, L D

Methylene-bisphenyl-isocyanate (MDI) and organic-solvent exposures were investigated during the application of a polyurethane roofing system at the NIOSH Ridge Building, Cincinnati, Ohio. MDI monomer concentration in area samples ranged from nondetected to 74 microgram/cubic meter (microg/m/sup 3/), while total reactive isocyanate group concentrations ranged from nondetected to 338 microg/m/sup 3/. Four of eight personal samples collected for MDI monomer showed positive results, with concentrations ranging from 2 microg/m/sup 3/ to 3.9 microg/m/sup 3/; comparison of sampling and analytical methods used suggested that the exposure may have been underestimated by a factor between 25 and 50. The author concludes that the data strongly suggess overexposures to monomeric MDI and total isocyanates occurred during roofing application. They recommend that positiv-pressure-supplied air respirators should be used when applying polyurethane roofing.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6918393
• Report Number(s): PB-87-116786/XAB; HETA-84-405-1717
• 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
AIR POLLUTION
BUILDINGS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
ISOCYANATES
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
OFFICE BUILDINGS
POLLUTION
ROOFS
SAFETY
TOXICITY