title: Investigation of respiratory and dermal symptoms associated with metal working fluids at an aircraft engine manufacturing facility.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Each year, 1.2 million metalworkers are exposed to metalworking fluids (MWFs), which can cause dermal and respiratory disease. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a health hazard evaluation of MWF exposures at an aircraft engine manufacturing facility. The objectives were to determine employee exposures to endotoxin and MWFs in the air, characterize symptoms experienced by employees working with MWFs, compare them to symptoms of employees unexposed to MWFs, and make recommendations for reducing exposures based on results.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred seven workers were categorized as MWF exposed or MWF unexposed and completed questionnaires. Estimated prevalence ratios (PR) of dermatitis, asthma, and work-related asthma (WRA) symptoms were calculated. Airborne concentrations of MWF and endotoxin were measured, and work practices observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MWF exposed workers had a significantly higher prevalence of dermatitis on wrists/forearms (PR 2.59; 95% CI 1.22, 5.46), asthma symptoms (PR 1.49; 95% CI 1.05, 2.13), and WRA symptoms (PR 2.10; 95% CI 1.22, 3.30) than unexposed workers. Airborne concentrations of MWF were below the NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) for MWF aerosols (thoracic particulate mass).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite MWF exposures below the NIOSH REL, exposed workers had a higher prevalence of asthma, WRA, and dermatitis symptoms than unexposed workers. Recommendations to reduce exposure included configuring mist collectors to automatically turn on when the machine is in use, and enforcing enclosure use.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meza
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hudson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis; D000401:Aircraft; D059366:Asthma, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D020711:Threshold Limit Values; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational
keywords: MWF; aircraft engine manufacturing; asthma; dermatitis; endotoxin; fungi; metalworking fluid; microbial contamination; mycobacteria; thoracic particulates