Correlation between urinary methoxyacetic acid and exposure of ethylene glycol dimethyl ether in a lithium battery plant.

Objective: To examine the correlation between airborne ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (EGdiME) exposures and the urinary methoxyacetic acid (MAA) and to approach the issue of a permissible exposure limit for EGdiME.

Methods: The survey was conducted on Thursday. Workers occupationally exposed to EGdiME, as well as nonexposed controls, were studied in combination with one of the authors, who was coincidentally exposed to EGdiME while carrying out the study.

Urinary elimination of nickel and cobalt in relation to airborne nickel and cobalt exposures in a battery plant.

Objective: To estimate the relationship between Ni concentrations in the ambient air and in the urine, at a battery plant using nickel hydroxide.

Methods: Workers occupationally exposed to a mixture of nickel hydroxide, metallic cobalt and cobalt oxyhydroxide dust were studied during two consecutive workdays. Air levels of Ni and Co in total dust were determined by personal sampling in the breathing zone.

Urinary methoxyacetic acid as an indicator of occupational exposure to ethylene glycol dimethyl ether.

Objective: To investigate whether methoxyacetic acid (MAA) is the metabolite of ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (EGdiME) in humans and whether its metabolite in urine can be used as a biomarker for exposure to EGdiME.

Methods: Workers occupationally exposed to EGdiME, as well as nonexposed controls, were studied. Urine samples were collected from 20 control subjects and, on Friday postshift, from 14 workers.

Methyltetrahydrophthalic acid in urine as an indicator of occupational exposure to methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride.

Objective: To investigate whether methyltetrahydrophthalic acid (MTHP acid) in urine can be used as a biomarker for exposure to methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride (MTHPA).

Methods: Workers occupationally exposed to MTHPA were studied in combination with one of the authors, who was experimentally exposed to MTHPA. Air levels of MTHPA were determined by personal sampling in the breathing zone.

[The working environment control of anhydride hardeners from an epoxy resin system].

Epoxy resins are widely used in adhesives, coatings, materials for molds and composites, and encapsulation. Acid anhydrides such as methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride are being used as curing agents for epoxy resins. The anhydride hardeners are well-known industrial inhalant allergens, inducing predominantly type I allergies.

Occupational dermatitis from a one-component naphthalene type epoxy adhesive.

In an electronics plant, a new one-component naphthalene type epoxy resin was used as an adhesive for reinforcing a circuit board. The resinous part of the adhesive consisted of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 1,6-bis(2,3-epoxypropoxy)naphthalene type epoxy resins. The hardener was methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA).

A cross-sectional survey of 32 workers exposed to hexahydrophthalic and methylhexahydrophthalic anhydrides.

The relation between exposure and sensitization or the appearance of symptoms of the eyes and airways was investigated in a cross-sectional study on 32 workers from a plant using epoxy resin with a mixture of hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA) and methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA) as a hardener. The main component in the hardener was HHPA, and the geometric mean concentrations of HHPA in the workplaces were extremely low (<40 microg/m3) in recent years, compared to the Occupational Exposure Limit-Ceiling for phthalic anhydride (2 mg/m3). However, specific IgE antibody to HHPA was detected in serum from 8 (25%) out of the workers: of those, 5 workers experienced symptoms of the eyes and nose during work (group sensitized symptomatic (SS)) and 3 workers did not (group sensitized nonsymptomatic (SN)).