Health-hazard evaluation report mHETA 88-269-1993, Meyersdale Manufacturing Co. , Meyersdale, Pennsylvania

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:7119456

Kullman, G J

In response to requests from the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, Local 393, investigations were made of formaldehyde exposures, lead exposures from drinking water, and occupational exposures during winter operating conditions at Meyersdale Manufacturing Company, Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. Time-weighted average formaldehyde concentrations from area impinger samples of facility air ranged from 0.03 to 0.23 parts per million (ppm). None of these was over the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit of 1 ppm. The levels of formaldehyde measured were in the range associated with eye and upper respiratory tract irritation. Other organic compounds detected in the atmosphere at the site included dioxane, methylene chloride, perchloroethylene, and trichloroethane which were attributed to dry cleaning compounds from the shirt cleaning area. The concentrations of these compounds did exceed NIOSH recommended exposure levels based on potential carcinogenic effects. An unidentified source of lead contamination in the sampling materials invalidated the water samples collected for lead analysis. The study concludes that formaldehyde concentration did not exceed the OSHA limits. Dry-cleaning solvent exposures in the shirt-cleaning area exceeded NIOSH lowest feasible limits for potential carcinogens.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7119456
• Report Number(s): PB-90-193194/XAB; MHETA--88-269-1993
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ALDEHYDES
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
DIOXANE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION III
FORMALDEHYDE
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRY
LEAD
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE
METALS
METHYLENE CHLORIDE
NORTH AMERICA
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PENNSYLVANIA
POLLUTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAFETY
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
TEXTILE INDUSTRY
USA
WATER POLLUTION