Showing papers by "Carrie A. Redlich published in 2009"

Skin Exposure to Aliphatic Polyisocyanates in the Auto Body Repair and Refinishing Industry: III. A Personal Exposure Algorithm

Abstract: Objectives: Isocyanate skin exposure may play an important role in sensitization and the development of isocyanate asthma, but such exposures are frequently intermittent and difficult to assess. Exposure metrics are needed to better estimate isocyanate skin exposures. The goal of this study was to develop a semiquantitative algorithm to estimate personal skin exposures in auto body shop workers using task-based skin exposure data and daily work diaries. The relationship between skin and respiratory exposure metrics was also evaluated. Methods: The development and results of respiratory exposure metrics were previously reported.Usingthe task-based dataobtainedwith acolorimetric skinexposure indicator anda daily workdiary,wedevelopedaskinexposurealgorithmtoestimateaskinexposureindex(SEI)foreach worker. This algorithm considered the type of personal protective equipment (PPE) used, the percentageofskinareacoveredbyPPEandskinexposureswithoutandunderneaththePPE.TheSEI was summed across the day (daily SEI) and survey week (weekly average SEI) for each worker, comparedamongthejobtitlecategoriesandalsocomparedwiththerespiratoryexposuremetrics. Results:A totalof 893person-dayswas calculatedfor 232workers (49painters,118technicians and 65 office workers) from 33 auto body shops. The median (10th‐90th percentile, maximum) daily SEI was 0 (0‐0, 1.0), 0 (0‐1.9, 4.8) and 1.6 (0‐3.5, 6.1) and weekly average SEI was 0 (0‐0.0, 0.7), 0.3 (0‐1.6, 4.2) and 1.9 (0.4‐3.0, 3.6) for office workers, technicians and painters, respectively, which were significantly different (P < 0.0001). The median (10th‐90th percentile, maximum)dailySEIwas0(0‐2.4,6.1)andweeklyaverageSEIwas0.2(0‐2.3,4.2)forallworkers. A relatively weak positive Spearman correlation was found between daily SEI and time-weighted average(TWA)respiratoryexposuremetrics(mgNCOm 23 )(r 5 0.380,n 5 893,P < 0.0001)and between weekly SEI and TWA respiratory exposure metrics (r 5 0.482, n 5 232, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The skin exposure algorithm developed in this study provides task-based personal daily and weekly average skin exposure indices that are adjusted for the use of PPE. These skin exposure indices can be used to assess isocyanate exposure‐response relationships.

Measurements of airborne methylene diphenyl diisocyanate concentration in the U.S. workplace--comment.

Abstract: Letters to the Editor Carrie A. Redlich MD, MPH a , Dhimiter Bello ScD, MSc b , Susan R. Woskie PhD, CIH b , Robert P. Streicher PhD c , Karroll Booth d , Barbara Cummings d , William J. Karoly e , Mark Spence f , Sharon Mullins g , William P. Robert g , Fran Lichtenberg h & J. Banta i a Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Department of Medicine , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , Conn. b Work Environment Department School of Health and Environment , University of Massachusetts Lowell , Lowell , Mass. c Chemical Exposure and Monitoring Branch Division of Applied Research and Technology , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , Cincinnati , Ohio d Bayer Material Science LLC , Pittsburgh , Pa. e IH Consultant , Landenberg , Pa. f Spence Consulting LLC , Midland , Mich. g BASF Corporation , Wyandotte , Mich. h fwl communications , Fairfield , Conn. i School of Public Health , Loma Linda University , Loma Linda , Calif. Published online: 15 Sep 2009.