Inhalation exposure in secondary aluminium smelting.

Inhalation exposure at seven UK secondary aluminium smelters was investigated to quantify the main exposures and identify their sources. The substances monitored were gases (carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and nitrogen dioxide), total inhalable dust, metals, ammonia, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particulate fluoride salts and acids. The results showed that people were exposed to a range of workplace air pollutants. Personal exposure results for total inhalable dust were between 700 and 5600 microg x m(-3) and the maximum personal exposure result for particulate fluoride salts was 690 microg x m(-3) (as F). The maximum aluminium, total PAH and lead personal exposure results were 900, 19 and 18 microg x m(-3) respectively. The average proportion of aluminium in total inhalable dust samples was 13% and rotary furnace processes generated the most dust. Particulate fluoride salt exposure was more widespread than hydrofluoric acid exposure. The source of the salt exposure was fluoride containing fluxes. The lead exposure source was lead solder contamination in the furnace charge.

Spontaneous abortion in the British semiconductor industry: An HSE investigation. Health and Safety Executive.

BACKGROUND: The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted a study to examine the risk of spontaneous abortion (SAB) in British female semiconductor industry workers, following reports from the USA which suggested an association between risk of SAB and work in fabrication rooms and/or exposure to ethylene glycol ethers. METHODS: A nested case-control study based on 2,207 women who had worked at eight manufacturing sites during a 5-year retrospective time frame was established; 36 cases were matched with 80 controls. RESULTS: The overall SAB rate in the industry was 10.0%. (65 SABs/651 pregnancies) The crude odds ratio (OR) for fabrication work was 0.65 (95% CI 0.30-1.40). This was essentially unchanged after adjustment for a range of potential confounding factors in the first 3 months of pregnancy and was reduced to 0.58 (95% CI 0.26-1.30) after adjustment for smoking in the previous 12 months. There were no statistically significantly elevated ORs for any work group or any specific chemical or physical exposure in the industry. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence of an increased risk of SAB in the British semiconductor industry. Am. J. Ind. Med. 36:557-572, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Workplace exposure to rosin-based solder flux fume during hand soldering.

The patterns and extent of exposure to rosin based solder flux fume have been investigated in two surveys and a number of individual site visits carried out by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Determination of solder fume was by measurement of airborne resin acid particulate. Both static and personal sampling was carried out over time periods ranging from 15 minutes to several hours. Resin acid concentrations were found to vary from less than 1 microgram m-3 to 2289 micrograms m-3. The effects of various types of local exhaust ventilation on resin acid concentrations have been observed. On-tool tip extraction systems were generally found to be the best control measure available; however good design, positioning and system maintenance is essential for efficient capture of the fume. The resin acid concentrations detected at these twenty-six sites suggest that the proposed British long and short term occupational exposure limits are realistically attainable targets, particularly where good working practices and/or effective fume control measures are in place.

An investigation into the composition of products evolved during heating of hot melt adhesives.

The major chemical components generated by a selection of fourteen hot melt adhesives during heating have been identified. This information is required so that the possible health consequences of occupational exposure can be assessed and advice on controls developed. Details are also given of the test apparatus and standard testing procedure devised for this investigation. Analysis of the evolved material indicates the presence of a wide range of chemical compounds, including resin acids, volatile terpenes, aliphatic aldehydes, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and isocyanates. Some components, including resin acids and formaldehyde, are common to several types of adhesive, whereas others, such as acrolein and isocyanates, are specific to just one. There is no component which is characteristic of fume from all fourteen adhesives. Concentrations of individual chemical components show significant variation, both between different types of adhesive, and between samples of the same adhesive heated to different temperatures or for different periods of time. For individual adhesives, concentrations of evolved material tend to increase as the temperature of the glue is raised, with the highest levels being observed in samples taken directly after commencement of heating.

Measurement of short-term exposure to airborne soluble platinum in the platinum industry.

A number of cases of respiratory sensitization to soluble platinum have arisen in the U.K. over the last few years, despite measured 8 h TWA exposure levels below the current long-term exposure limit in most cases. One possible cause of sensitization may be as a result of high exposures over short periods. Short-term sampling has been hampered by inadequate sampling and analysis techniques. This investigation has used two types of personal inhalable sampler, with ICPMS analysis, to take 15 min TWA soluble platinum exposure measurements at three sites. The lower detection limit for soluble platinum salts was approximately 0.01 microgram m-3 for 15 min samples, allowing exposures two orders of magnitude below the exposure limit to be measured. It was found that the majority of short-term exposure levels were significantly below 0.006 mg m-3. No evidence was found for altered work practices during sampling, indicating that either sensitization is occurring at airborne exposure levels below the exposure limit, or there is an alternate route of exposure.