Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards in the Plastics Industry

Eckardt, Robert E.

doi:10.2307/3428614

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 1 publication

(1 reference statement)

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“…A number of studies have shown that the principal hazards of plastics are associated with their monomers and with the wide variety of additives that are used in processing [Echardt, 1976;Karstadt, 1976;Withey, 19791 Various studies have investigated the effects of exposure, mostly in association with angiosarcoma of the liver in PVC production, in which PVC resins are manufactured from vinyl chloride monomer [Simonato et al, 1991;Wong et al, 1991;Laplanche et al, 19921. Of those investigations, none reported an excess of pancreatic cancer.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Pancreatic cancer among workers processing synthetic resins

Selenskas

Teta²,

Vitale

1995

American J Industrial Med

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A nested case-control study was conducted to investigate whether an excess of pancreatic cancer, identified in a cohort mortality study with follow-up from 1946 through 1988, was associated with potential workplace exposures at a New Jersey plastics manufacturing and research and development facility. The study population included 28 male pancreatic cancer cases and 140 randomly selected controls, matched on year of birth and at risk (alive) at the time of the case death. Using plant work history records, department assignments for the two groups were compared according to duration and time since first assignment. Workers assigned to a work area that processed vinyl resins and polyethylene (PE) were shown to be at increased risk. Men assigned more than 16 years to this department had a significantly increased risk ratio of 7.15 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.28-40.1). No excess was seen with shorter duration assignments. Seven of the nine cases began working in this area in the 1940s. Average latency was 32 years, and all but three cases worked 20 years or more in this unit. Over the study period, significant exposure-related process changes occurred, in addition to the use of numerous chemical additives. Although vinyl and PE processing operations could not be analyzed separately, the pancreatic cancer excess is more likely to be related to vinyl processing. Identification of a causative agent or combination of agents would require investigations with more detailed exposure information.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Pancreatic cancer among workers processing synthetic resins

Selenskas

Teta²,

Vitale

1995

American J Industrial Med

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“…12,13 It was earlier considered as one of non-toxic material and used general anaesthesia as well. 14 The first report of PVC toxic effects resulting in liver angiosarcoma and acroosteolysis enforced to investigate its similar effects in other neoplastic entities. 15 The inhaled PVC dust component of less than 5µm may travel to respiratory bronchiole and lodge inside the alveoli.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic Lung Diseases in Plastic Fumes Exposed Workers: A Case Series

Kumar¹,

Spalgais²,

Choudhari³

et al. 2022

The Indian Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences

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The work-place and household exposure to different pollutants involves airways as well as parenchyma of the lung. We evaluated four patients without comorbidities, working in plastic industries at least for 11 years. Pulmonary function testing of the patients revealed mixed airway disease. Computed tomography revealed bronchiectasis, centrilobular nodule, septal thickening and emphysema unrevealing the toxic potential of plastic fumes. The use of personal protective equipment with good work hygiene practises would certainly help in the prevention of these occupation-related morbidities.

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“…The extent of these hazards varies depending on the industry type, locality and precautionary measures taken by the worker and the employer [107][108][109]. The extent of chemical hazards, for example, occurs due to unreacted feedstocks and other process inputs, such as fillers, stabilisers, pigments, inhibitors and initiators, all added to a finished product [110]. To compound the problem, there are in excess of 100,000 hazardous chemicals in various workplaces, with new chemicals introduced yearly, all affecting workers [111].…”

Section: Occupational Health Hazards Exposure and Latencymentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupational Health and Safety Statistics as an Indicator of Worker Physical Health in South African Industry

Rikhotso

Morodi

Masekameni

2022

IJERPH

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Operations in general industry, including manufacturing, expose employees to a myriad of occupational health hazards. To prevent exposure, occupational health and safety regulations were enacted, with both employers and workers instituting various risk reduction measures. The analysis of available occupational disease and injury statistics (indicators of worker physical health) can be used to infer the effectiveness of risk reduction measures and regulations in preventing exposure. Thus, using the READ approach, analyses of occupational disease and injury statistics from South African industry, derived from annual reports of the Compensation Fund, were conducted. The publicly available database of occupational disease and injury statistics from the South African general industry is unstructured, and the data are inconsistently reported. This data scarcity, symptomatic of an absence of a functional occupational disease surveillance system, complicates judgement making regarding the effectiveness of implemented risk reduction measures, enacted occupational health and safety regulations and the status of worker physical health from exposure to workplace hazards. The statistics, where available, indicate that workers continue to be exposed to occupational health impacts within general industry, notwithstanding risk reduction measures and enacted regulations. In particular, worker physical health continues to be impacted by occupational injuries and noise-induced hearing loss. This is suggestive of shortcomings and inefficiencies in industry-implemented preventive measures and the regulatory state. A robust national occupational disease surveillance system is a regulatory tool that should detect and direct policy responses to identified occupational health hazards.

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Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards in the Plastics Industry

Cited by 4 publications

References 1 publication

Pancreatic cancer among workers processing synthetic resins

Pancreatic cancer among workers processing synthetic resins

Chronic Lung Diseases in Plastic Fumes Exposed Workers: A Case Series

Occupational Health and Safety Statistics as an Indicator of Worker Physical Health in South African Industry

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