title: Respiratory Health - Exposure Measurements and Modeling in the Fragrance and Flavour Industry.
abstract: Although the flavor and fragrance industry is about 150 years old, the use of synthetic materials started more than 100 years ago, and the awareness of the respiratory hazard presented by some flavoring substances emerged only recently. In 2001, the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) identified for the first time inhalation exposure to flavoring substances in the workplace as a possible occupational hazard. As a consequence, manufacturers must comply with a variety of workplace safety requirements, and management has to ensure the improvement of health and safety of the employees exposed to hazardous volatile organic compounds. In this sensitive context, MANE opened its facilities to an intensive measuring campaign with the objective to better estimate the real level of hazardous respiratory exposure of workers. In this study, exposure to 27 hazardous volatile substances were measured during several types of handling operations (weighing-mixing, packaging, reconditioning-transferring), 430 measurement results were generated, and were exploited to propose an improved model derived from the well-known ECETOC-TRA model. The quantification of volatile substances in the working atmosphere involved three main steps: adsorption of the chemicals on a solid support, thermal desorption, followed by analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our approach was to examine experimental measures done in various manufacturing workplaces and to define correction factors to reflect more accurately working conditions and habits. Four correction factors were adjusted in the ECETOC-TRA to integrate important exposure variation factors: exposure duration, percentage of the substance in the composition, presence of collective protective equipment and wearing of personal protective equipment. Verification of the validity of the model is based on the comparison of the values obtained after adaptation of the ECETOC-TRA model, according to various exposure scenarios, with the experimental values measured under real conditions. After examination of the predicted results, 98% of the values obtained with the proposed new model were above the experimental values measured in real conditions. This must be compared with the results of the classical ECETOC-TRA system, which generates only 37% of overestimated values. As the values generated by the new model intended to help decision-makers of the industry to implement adapted protective action and information, and considering the high variability of the working environments, it was of the utmost importance to us not to underestimate the exposure level. The proposed correction factors have been designed to achieve this goal. We wish to propose the present method as an improved monitoring tool to improve respiratory health and safety in the flavor and fragrance manufacturing facilities.
authors: V. Mane Fils Sa, Le-Bar-Sur-Loup, France.
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Angelini
authors: V. Mane Fils Sa, Le-Bar-Sur-Loup, France.
authors: Gerard
authors: G
authors: Camerini
authors: V. Mane Fils Sa, Le-Bar-Sur-Loup, France.
authors: Malick
authors: M
authors: Diop
authors: V. Mane Fils Sa, Le-Bar-Sur-Loup, France.
authors: Patrice
authors: P
authors: Roche
authors: V. Mane Fils Sa, Le-Bar-Sur-Loup, France.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Rodi
authors: V. Mane Fils Sa, Le-Bar-Sur-Loup, France.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Schippa
authors: V. Mane Fils Sa, Le-Bar-Sur-Loup, France.
authors: Thierry
authors: T
authors: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D002617:Chemical Industry; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000592:standards; D010476:Perfume / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012308:Risk Management; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D005421:Flavoring Agents; D010476:Perfume; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds