Trimellitic anhydride exposure in a 55-gallon drum manufacturing plant: Clinical, immunologic, and industrial hygiene evaluation
✍ Scribed by Gideon Letz; Lee Wugofski; James E. Cone; Roy Patterson; Kathleen E. Harris; Leslie C. Grammer
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1987
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 663 KB
- Volume
- 12
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0271-3586
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Nine workers at a 55-gallon drum manufacturing plant had history of exposure to a paint powder that contained trimellitic anhydride (TMA). Environmental monitoring revealed airborne levels of TMA to be over 100 times the OSHA permissible exposure limit of 0.04 mg/m3. The exposed workers were evaluated in a cross-sectional study by questionnaire, physical examination, screening pulmonary function tests, serial peak expiratory flow rates (PEFR), and serum antibody levels. Four workers had symptoms consistent with TMA-induced irritant effects. Three had symptoms and IgG levels consistent with TMA late respiratory systemic syndrome (LRSS). Two of these three had PEFR changes that showed significant drops (> 20%) 12-18 hours after the end of a work shift. The material safety data sheet for the paint powder failed to list TMA as an ingredient. Despite the well-described toxic effects of TMA, the present study documents that TMA-related illness may continue to be a problem in situations where workers and management are not properly notified of the potential hazards. The measurement of PEFR may be useful in identifying TMA-exposed workers with LRSS.