Assessment of the relationship between isocyanate exposure levels and occupational asthma.
As part of a previous study, we identified Ontario cases of isocyanate-induced occupational asthma (OA) and the companies at which they worked. The Ontario Ministry of Labour maintained a computerized database including isocyanate air sampling determinations conducted by the Ministry. Within this database, we compared levels of isocyanate concentrations measured at 20 case companies [with compensated isocyanate asthma (OA) claims] with 203 noncase companies, based on air samples collected during the same 4-year period during which the OA claims arose. The proportion of case companies that were ever recorded as having a measured ambient isocyanate concentration of > or = 0.005 ppm was greater than that for noncase companies, for TDI users (43% vs 22%), and for MDI users (40% vs 27%). This reached conventional significance when combined across companies and isocyanate types (50% vs 25%; P < 0.05). This provides some evidence that facilities having OA claims have higher isocyanate exposures than do those without claims.
Tarlo
S M
SM
Gage Occupational and Environmental Health Unit, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. susan.tarlo@utoronto.ca
Liss
G M
GM
Dias
C
C
Banks
D E
DE
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry / Q000145:classification; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D017953:Isocyanates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000393:Air Pollutants; D017953:Isocyanates