Inhalation occupational protection

Observe normal precautions appropriate to the circumstances and quantity of material handled. Calcium carbonate may be irritant to the eyes and on inhalation. Eye protection, gloves, and a dust mask are recommended. Calcium carbonate should be handled in a well-ventilated environment. In the UK, the long-term (8-hour TWA) occupational exposure limit for calcium carbonate is lOmg/m for total inhalable dust and 4 mg/m for respirable dust. ... 

In occupational settings, exposure to endosulfan is mainly via the dermal and inhalation routes. Although workers involved in the manufacture and formulation of pesticide products containing endosulfan are potentially exposed to high concentrations of the compound, actual exposure is probably limited by the use of engineering controls and personal protection equipment. The highest documented dermal and inhalation exposures have been reported for agricultural workers involved in the spray... 

Occupational and Residential Exposure Test Guidelines, OPPTS 875.1300, February 1996, Inhalation Exposure - Outdoor, EPA 712-C-96-263, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (1996). 

Two fatal cases of occupational exposure to 1,2-dibromoethane were reported by Letz et al. (1984). A worker collapsed shortly after entering a pesticide storage tank containing residues of 1,2-dibromoethane he remained in the tank for 45 minutes. A supervisor attempting to rescue the worker also collapsed and was exposed for 20-30 minutes prior to rescue. Both men died 12 and 64 hours after collapse, respectively. The primary route of exposure was postulated to be dermal, with inhalation also playing a potentially important role. Neither worker had been wearing protective clothing or respirators. 

Respiratory Effects. No studies were located regarding respiratory effects in humans after inhalation exposure to 1,3,5-TNB. One retrospective study (Okubo and Shigeta 1982) of acute occupational exposure to 1,3-DNB dust particles was located. Six workers were removing crystallized 1,3-DNB from a tank and were protected with gauze masks and rubber gloves. Exposure occurred over a period of 6 days. By the end of the exposure period, some of the workers complained of slight dyspnea upon exertion. Inhalation was considered to be a primary route of exposure because a relatively small skin area (face and neck) was exposed. Limitations of this study include lack of information on the concentration of 1,3-DNB in the air, the amount of particulate 1,3-DNB deposited on workers skin, and the exact duration of exposure. 

In short-term clinical trials, pretreatment with cromolyn or nedocromil blocked the bronchoconstriction caused by allergen inhalation, by exercise, by sulfur dioxide, and by a variety of causes of occupational asthma. This acute protective effect of a single treatment makes cromolyn useful for administration shortly before exercise or before unavoidable exposure to an allergen. 

Repeated Dose Exposure. Available studies on the effects of repeated inhalation exposure of animals to BCME (Leong et al. 1971, 1981) indicate that an exposure level of 0.1 ppm is a NOAEL for most systemic effects in rats, while 1.0 ppm leads to significant injury to lung in mice. Further studies to confirm these estimates and to determine both NOAEL and LOAEL values in each species would be useful in the protection of occupationally exposed workers. 

In 1955, the International Commission on Radiological Protection set a maximum permissible occupational concentration of 3.7 x 103 Bq m-3 (10-10 Ci l-1), for continuous exposure, equivalent to 1.1 x 104 Bq m-3 (3 x 10-10 pCi P1) for a 40-h working week. Subsequently, when it was realised that the critical dose to the lung was from inhalation of decay products, not radon itself, the permissible concentration was defined in terms of the concentration of decay products. The current recommended limit (ICRP, 1986) for a working period of 2000 h per year is 1.5 x 103 Bq m 3 equilibrium equivalent radon concentration (a term defined in Section 1.8 below). 

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