Document Qgzy3qy60VD5182ab7yGwbv45

CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION June 28, 1988 BY TELECOPIER Dr. Robert K. Hinderer The B.F. Goodrich Company 3925 Embassy Parkway Akron, Ohio 44313 Reference: NIOSH Criteria Documents Exerpts Attached are exerpts from the NIOSH criteria document where references are made to the articles by Kozik and Brzozowski that you requested. Sincerely, Henry J. Sauer Manager Ethylene Bichloride Program cc: Ethylene Dichloride Panel 2501 M Street, NW. Washington, DC 20037 202-887-1100 Telex 89617 (CMAWSH) SL 068030 criteria for a recommended standard . * OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE (1,2-DICHLOROETHANE) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Public Health Service Center for Disease Control National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health March 1976 SL 068031 AA *L CRITERIA DOCUMENT: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AN OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE STANDARD FOR ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE (1,2 DlCHLOROETHANE) Table of Contents Page PREFACE ill REVIEW COMMITTEE vi REVIEW CONSULTANTS vii I. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AN ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE STANDARD Section1 - Environmental (Workplace Air) Section 2 - Medical Section 3 - Labeling (Posting) Section 4 - Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing Section 5 - Informing Employees of Hazards from Ethylene Dichloride Section 6 - Work Practices Section 7 - Monitoring and Recordkeeping 1 2 3 3 7 8 11 II. INTRODUCTION 14 III. BIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE Extent of Exposure Historical Reports Effects on Humans Epidemiologic Studies Animal Toxicity Correlation of Exposure and Effects 16 18 21 46 58 72 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND ANALYTICAL METHODS Environmental Concentrations Environmental Sampling and Analytical Methods 83 85 V. DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARD Basis for Previous Standards Basis for Recommended Environmental Standard 92 96 VI. WORK PRACTICES 103 VII, RESEARCH NEEDS 109 VIII. REFERENCES 111 SL 068032 t hematopoietic system. He proposed to study the effect of a protective diet containing high levels of sulfhydryl groups on the health of the Barisol plant workers. By the time of this recommendation, the concentrations of ethylene dichloride in the workplace had been partially controlled but were still above permissible levels, and the entire crew had been replaced. For 6 months, 16 men and one woman had a diet supplemented with 5 mg methionine, choline, and 40 mg vitamin C. Nine of the workers were employed in the centrifuge room and 8 in other locations for an average of 8-12 months. Consequences of the dietary change are not apparent In 1954, Brzozowski et al [104] reported the work practices and health status of agricultural workers using ethylene dichloride as a fumigant in Poland and stated that skin absorption of ethylene dichloride was primarily responsible for producing symptoms such as nausea, weakness, and abdominal pain. It was reported that ethylene dlchlorlde was brought to the fields in barrels and poured by hand into buckets. The worker handling the bucket had his face extremely close to the barrel during pouring and was therefore exposed to a high concentration. Workers then carried the open buckets to the place of application, meanwhile spilling quantities of the insecticide on their clothes and shoes. These clothes, often soaked with ethylene dichloride, were not changed. The actual application involved pouring the ethylene dichloride into a series of holes. Furthermore, the authors [104] stated that the workers used ethylene dichloride to wash their skin. This seems to confirm that skin absorption probably was as significant a contribution to exposure as inhalation. 52 SL 068033 An environmental sample representative of the working zone was col lected in an unstated medium by midget lmplngers and analyzed by a modification of the alkaline hydrolysis method. Since the workers did not stay at one location for a sufficient amount of time to collect an entire sample, the collection apparatus was moved from place to place following the workers. Consequently, one environmental sample was collected from 10 locations. The concentration was found to be 4 ppm (16 mg/cu m). Because of the practical difficulties of sample collection, conditions were simulated in the laboratory and air was sampled and analyzed, resulting in concentrations of about 14.5-15 ppm (58-60 mg/cu m). A sample taken during the pouring of ethylene dichloride into buckets, considered to be the maximum exposure of a worker, was found to have 60 ppm ethylene dichlorlde. [104] To establish the health status of the workers, the following in vestigations were performed: medical examinations, patch tests to detect sensitization, urinalyses and tests of liver function. Blood counts were also performed but the data were not reported. [104] Among 118 workers using ethylene dichlorlde, signs and symptoms were reported in 90 persons, the most common being conjunctival congestion (82 of the workers), weakness (54), reddening of the pharynx (50), bronchial symptoms (43), metallic taste in the mouth (40), headache (39), dermatographism (37), nausea (31), cough (30), liver pain (29), burning sensation of the conjunctiva (24), tachycardia (21), and dyspnea after effort (21). [104] The amounts of ethylene dichloride found in the urine of workers were not reported, but it was stated that ethylene dichloride was excreted very 53 068034 Sh fast, and that the amounts excreted did not correlate with the appearance of clinical symptoms. The Quick test for hippuric acid was used to measure liver function, and significantly abnormal findings were reported to occur in 40 of 56 investigations. Further detail was not reported. To determine skin sensitization, a piece of gauze was soaked in a 0.1% solution of ethylene dichloride in alcohol and was taped to the arm. The result was read after 40 hours, and in all cases the tests were negative. The same test was repeated using a 50% solution of ethylene dichloride in soybean oil and the results were again negative. [104] The authors [104] concluded that the poor work practices including the spilling of ethylene dichloride on clothes and skin contributed significantly to the workers' exposure. They recommended the use of protective clothing and correction of work practices to decrease the exposure by skin absorption. Rosenbaum [88] reported that in 100 factory workers exposed to ethylene dichloride for 6 months to 5 years at concentrations not in excess of 25 ppm (0.1 mg/liter), there were no changes in the blood or int rnal organ functions. However in a number of workers, there were nervous system functional disturbances of varying intensity. These disturbances included what was called heightened lability of the autonomic nervous system, diffuse red- dermographism, muscular torus, bradycardia, Increased hldrosls, and frequent complaints about fatigability, irritability, and sleeplessness. Information about the method of measuring ethylene dichloride was not given in the report. The health of workers chronically exposed to ethylene dichloride in the Russian aircraft industry was studied for the years 1951-1955 and 54 SL 068035 reported in 1957 by Kozik. [105] The workers of concern comprised a large group employed in the shop where soft tanks were produced. Most of the workers in this shop were gluers who assembled the metal forms and attached rubber parts to them. A small number worked inside the completed tanks to dissassemble the forms. Rubber sheets were spread on tables situated in 4 rows and the metal forms were placed along the tables. During application of the glue to the large rubber sheets, ethylene dichloride, the solvent for the glue, was emitted to the air. The exit ducts of the ventilation system were located in the floor between the rows of tables and metal forms. About 500 ethylene dichloride measurements were reported to have been taken for various purposes. The data for 3 operations in the shop are presented in Table XII-3 and summarized in Figures XI-1 and XI-2. Although the sampling and analytical methods were not mentioned, the design of the study and the extensiveness of the data presentation lend credibility to the study. During application of the glue to the rubber sheets, concentrations of 5-40 ppm were reported. The author [105] reported that concentrations of 22-40 ppm were maintained for 5-6 minutes, after which they decreased to 17-22 ppm as the glue dried, and by the end of drying to 7.5-10 ppm, in 15 minutes. The gluing was done in the 1st half of the shift and the dried sheets were placed on the forms in the 2nd half. The author estimated that the array of ethylene dichloride concentrations reported for the gluing and drying operations occurred during 70-75% of the time. It can be estimated, from the data presented, that about 44% of the total exposure occurred during the gluing operations (Figure XII-2) when the TWA concentration was 55 SL 068036 about 28 ppm during application of the glue, and about 16 ppm when the glue was drying. During the 2nd half of the shift when other operations were performed, the ethylene dichloride concentration was about 11 ppm, and for the total shift the TWA was about 15 ppm, A study was made of morbidity and temporary loss of working capacity in the group of workers engaged in the production of soft tanks and in the entire factory for the years 1951-1955. The morbidity indices are presented in Table III-2. TABLE III-2 MORBIDITY AND LOST WORKDAYS OF WORKERS EXPOSED TO ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE (Rates/100 Workers) Year Total Morbidity Acute Gastro intestinal Disorders Neuritis and Radiculitis Other Diseases Plant Shop Plant Shop Plant Shop Plant Shop 1951 Cases Days 120.2 159.8 995.8 1445.5 1952 Cases Days 124.0 960.9 137.6 996.0 1953 Cases 135.6 163.9 Days 1040.8 1236.5 1954 Cases 150.7 191.8 Days 1175.9 1563.2 1955 Cases Days 127.6 176.6 978.4 1462.4 From Kozik [105] 5.1 19.3 4.2 15.1 14.4 15.6 5.3 19.3 3.6 12.1 11.6 43.5 5.7 23.1 6.2 19.1 9.6 31.8 5.0 15.3 5.2 59.9 5.0 44.8 7.5 67.3 7.9 73.8 5.9 51.1 13.0 34.4 43.2 127.0 354.2 541.8 9.7 34.0 40.8 94.5 335.2 378.7 16.5 35.3 53.5 146.0 338.3 524.0 16.7 40.8 63.8 182.8 386.4 596.2 10.3 37.9 63.3 90.2 345.7 640.5 56 SL 068037 For each disease category considered, total morbidity, acute gastrointestinal disorders, neuritis, radiculitis, and other diseases, the indices of both cases of morbidity/100 workers and days of temporary loss of working capacity/100 workers were greater in the soft-tank shop than throughout the factory in each year, except cases of acute gastrointestinal disorders in 1953. Diseases of the muscles, tendons, and ganglia were considered by Kozik [105] to be associated with the many repetetive motions the workers had to make when applying the glue. Eighty-three of the gluers were examined by the Department of Occupational Diseases of the Central Institute for Postgraduate Medicine. Diseases of the liver and bile ducts were found in 19 of the workers, neurotic conditions were found in 13, autonomic dystonia in 11, asthenic conditions in 5, and goiter and hyperthyroidism in 10 workers. Visualmotor reactions at the beginning and end of the working day were studied for 14 days in 17 gluers and 10 control machinists from the mechanical shop. The author stated that simple reaction, a complicated light differentiation reaction, and modifications of a complicated reaction were used; details of the tests were not given. The average values of the speeds of reaction were reported to have shown no substantial differences in the 2 groups before and after work. However, in the case of the complicated reaction, the majority of gluers made errors compared to no errors by the machinists. With the modified complicated reaction, 4 of 10 machinists made errors, but only at the end of the workday. Errors were committed by 15 of 17 gluers and the errors were committed both before and after work. 57 SL 068038 CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION Record of Conference Call of the Ethylene Dichloride Program Panel EDC-19 Date: Thursday, June 23, 1988 Time: 9:00 a,m. Participants Susan Hearn, Chairperson Loren Anderson Thomas Grumbles Robert Hinderer Thomas Robinson Nannette Simon Henry Sauer Dow Chemical Company PPG Industries, Incorporated Vista Chemical Company BF Goodrich Company Vulcan Materials Company Occidental Chemical Corporation CMA Panel Activities 1.0 Recommended Response to OSHA Z Tables Revision. The group discussed the proposed changes to the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for EDC. NIOSH (1978) has concluded that EDC should be considered a potential human carcinogen and has recommended 1 ppm 10 hour TWA and 2 ppm 15-minutes short-term limits. Recommended literature references include: The NIOSH criteria for a Recommended Standard NIOSH Special Hazard Review of EDC (1978) Klaunig, J. E., et al., Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 69 (pp 89-95), 1986 (A drinking water study) Foreign references in the F. R. Notice: Kozik (1957) and Brzozowski (1954). On motion, duly made and seconded, the Panel unanimously voted to respond to the proposed rule. Ms. Hearn and Mr. Hinderer volun teered to work on draft comments. Members are planning to attend a June 29 meeting of the Vinyl Institute in Baton Rouge, LA to coordinate recommended comments with the response of this group. Draft comments will be distributed to the Panel for review prior to the July 8 deadline. General comments are also being developed SL 068039 2 by the Hazard Assessment Task Group of the CMA Health and Safety Committee. It was recommended that the Panel consider support for reducing the current OSHA standard of 50 ppm, 8 hour TWA to the ACGIH adopted value of 10 ppm, 8 hour TWA. 2.0 HAPS Follow-up Plans. Members were reminded to send EDC data required under SARA Section 313 to CMA. 3.0 Panel Membership. It was recommended that the following other known EDC producers be invited to join the Panel: Borden, Inc., Formosa Plastics Corporation, and Georgia Gulf Corporation. The call was concluded at 10:00 Subject to Approval June 27, 1988 Henry J. Sauer Manager Ethylene Dichloride Program SL 068040