Health Hazard Evaluation Report HETA-85-453-1787

摘要

In response to a request from the International Union of Electrical workers, an evaluation was conducted at the Sperry Rand Corporation (SIC-3679) facility in Great Neck, New York. Workers in the Incoming Inspection area had developed dermatitis on hands and arms after handling tote boxes impregnated with the antistatic agent bis-hydroxyethyltallowamine (BHETA). Use of the boxes was discontinued after about 8 months, but symptoms continued in some workers. Application of BHETA to the skin of six unexposed volunteers resulted in irritant reactions to 50 percent and 25 percent BHETA, varying reactions to 12.5 and 6.13 percent BHETA, and no reactions at lower concentrations; one individual had a delayed reaction at the site, and reacted to a closed patch test with 0.5 percent BHETA. Necrotic irritant reactions were produced by two skin applications of 25 percent BHETA in guinea-pigs, while three applications of 2.5 percent BHETA produced shallow cutaneous ulcerations. No BHETA was detected in wipe samples taken 4 months after use of the tote boxes was discontinued. Three of 18 workers tested with 0.5 percent BHETA had weakly positive reactions. The author concludes that BHETA was a likely cause of the dermatitis. The author recommends that the BHETA impregnated tote boxes previously used should not be reintroduced.