Lead contamination of paint remediation workers' vehicles.

Exposure to lead has been shown to be harmful to adults; it is a teratogen, it can damage the peripheral nervous system, and it adversely affects the reproductive system. Professional lead-based paint remediation workers are at risk of exposure to lead dust. The authors' study was conducted to determine if these remediation workers transfer lead from their work site to their vehicles and then potentially expose their families. It was hypothesized that remediation workers transported the lead from the remediation work site to the floorboards of their vehicles due to not following required protective equipment use. The laboratory's level of quantitation for lead on the wipe samples, 10 microg/ft2, was used to indicate lead contamination. This level was exceeded in 50% of the floorboards sampled. These results confirm that many vehicle floorboards used by remediation workers are contaminated with lead dust, potentially resulting in transfer of lead dust. The ultimate detrimental outcome could be the transfer of lead particles to other family members, causing the poisoning of a child or other at-risk person.

Economic justification for the Tennessee Lead Elimination Action Program.

Ingestion of lead by children can cause physical health issues and learning development issues. A primary source of lead as a hazard for children is found in deteriorating lead-based paint. The Tennessee Lead Elimination Action Program (TN LEAP) is a grant-funded initiative designed to identify and control lead poisoning hazards in Tennessee homes. TN LEAP conducted a study to evaluate the economic justification for the control of lead hazards through TN LEAP efforts. Using lead remediation cost information, the previously established relationship between child blood lead levels and loss of potential income, a loss-of-lifetime earnings was calculated for affected children. The economic Net Present Value (NPV) was calculated based on the expenses of lead hazard control and savings of lifetime earnings potential. Although blood lead levels for Tennessee children have significantly increased over the past 10 years, the current average for tested children is 2.51 microg/dL. The average remediation expense for houses affected by TN LEAP is $7,598 per unit. The NPV for the loss of lifetime income per housing unit is $17,035. Evaluating the total project yields a result of a positive NPV of $9,437. The study found that using an NPV analysis, there is a positive economic payback for reducing lead hazards in Tennessee homes. The future savings realized from lifetime income earnings will exceed the current remediation expenses.

Evaluation of employee exposure to organic tin compounds used as stabilizers at PVC processing facilities.

Organic tin compounds are primary substances used as heat stabilizers by the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry. The use of these compounds in the PVC industry is generally well controlled, usually by automated processes. This study was conducted to provide an overview of worker exposure to organic tin compounds at PVC processing facilities and to verify that these exposures are below the threshold limit value (TLV((R))) set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists for organic tin. The basis of the TLV indicates the principal concern is to minimize adverse effects on immune function and the central nervous system from airborne exposure to organic tin. The TLV has a skin designation based on the potential for percutaneous absorption; the TLVs for inhalation exposures are based on the presumption that there is no concurrent exposure via the skin and oral ingestion routes. Personal exposure monitoring was conducted following the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 5504 sampling method and a modified version of the NIOSH analytical method. The results were reported as"total tin."The data indicated no average exposure levels for individual tasks exceeded the organic tin TLV, and 96%of results the samples were less than 20%of the TLV. Only 1 sample of 102 exceeded the TLV, and the individual was wearing appropriate respiratory protection. Subsequent investigation indicated the highest exposures occurred while the operators were conducting tasks that included manual handling of the organic tin compounds. These data suggest manual operations may have a greater potential for organic tin exposure.

Sampling and analysis of butyltin compounds in air using gas chromatography and flame photometric detection.

Organotin compounds are used in a variety of applications including stabilizers, catalysts, antifouling agents, and biocides. Because of the widespread use of organotin compounds in industry and their wide range of toxic effects, it is important to measure worker exposure to specific organotin compounds. Three butyltin compounds were selected for this study--butyltin trichloride, dibutyltin dichloride, and tributyltin chloride. These three compounds are typically present in the same work environment; therefore, developing a sampling and analytical method that would allow all three butyltin compounds to be sampled and analyzed simultaneously was desired. A derivatization procedure using sodium tetraethylborate (STEB) was selected for study and validation. The validation study demonstrated that sampling using the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Versatile Sampler (OVS) with XAD-2 resin sorbent and analysis using gas chromatography/flame photometric detection (GC/FPD) can be used to evaluate worker exposures to specific butyltin chlorides over the range of 5 to 270 micrograms/m3 collected at a flowrate of 0.25 L/min over a 3-hour period for a 45-L air sample. Breakthrough studies at 1.5 times the occupational exposure guideline (OEG) of 0.05 mg/m3 showed that samples could be collected at flowrates up to 0.5 L/min for 12 hours without breakthrough. The 14-day storage stability study showed apparent degradation of tributyltin and monobutyltin within a 3-day storage period at both ambient and refrigerated temperatures. There was no further degradation from 3 to 14 days. The stability of dibutyltin was unaffected by storage condition over the 14-day storage study. Subsequent stability studies incorporating a spiking solution control sample were conducted extending the stability study out to 27 days. These data show that all three butyltins were stable at either ambient or refrigerated conditions.