Women at risk when exposed to chemical used to remove paint and coatings

EPA releases final risk assessment for NMP

Pregnant women and those of childbearing
age were at risk of exposure to NMP: Experts

WASHINGTON - The U.S. EPA released the final risk assessment for N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP), a chemical commonly used to remove paint and other coatings.

The assessment identified risks to pregnant women and women of childbearing age, who have high exposure to NMP through paint or other coating removal.

“By completing this assessment, we have taken an important step in protecting pregnant women and women of childbearing age who are using NMP to remove paint,” said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

“It is a reminder that as we evaluate these risks, it is very clear that our nation’s chemical laws are in much need of reform. Completing this assessment will now trigger a process to address these unacceptable risks.”

Acute and chronic risks identified for women of childbearing age who use NMP for less than four hours per day may be reduced by use of specific types of chemical-resistant gloves.

However, gloves and respirators do not adequately reduce risks to women of childbearing age who use NMP for more than four hours per day on a single day or repeatedly over a succession of days.

The NMP final risk assessment was developed as part of the Agency’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan, which identified chemicals for review and assessment of potential risks to people’s health and the environment.

NMP is a common alternative to methylene chloride, also known as Dichloromethane (DCM), a chemical-based paint and coating remover.

EPA has also identified risks associated with methylene chloride during the removal of paint and other coatings.

For both NMP and methylene chloride, EPA is considering a range of voluntary and regulatory actions to reduce risks, and recommends finding safer paint/coating removal chemicals, or taking precautions that can reduce exposures, such as using the product outside, in a well-ventilated area, and wearing proper gloves and respiratory protection.

Additional information on the NMP final risk assessment and other work plan chemicals can be found here.

Source: EPA press release

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Update: Study on effects of welding fumes on women

Welding fumes can affect workers'
health and well-being.

An ongoing study focusing on female workers' exposure to welding fumes and metal dust in metalworking and electrical trades has published some preliminary findings.

The researchers report that the study is now recruiting women from all provinces and territories across Canada, who can complete the questionnaires either in French or English by telephone.

Originally, the study focused on female workers in the province of Alberta. Participants can also complete the questionnaires online.

Up until this point, 531 women have completed the baseline questionnaire and 415 women have completed the first of the questionnaire about exposures at work.

The earliest participants are now nearing their 30 month follow-up questionnaire online or by telephone, having been enrolled for over two years.

Preliminary results focus on metal levels

At the time of their first exposure questionnaire early participants were asked to send in a urine sample so that we could examine the relationship between work and the level of metals inside the body.

There were 107 women who were working in their trade and provided a urine sample at the time of their first exposure questionnaire. This group included 56 welders and 51 electricians. Each urine sample was analyzed for a series of metals possibly related to work in the trades.

The result suggested that welders had higher levels of metals than the electricians, but the differences were small in most cases.

The researchers next looked at whether the metal levels differed depending on the tasks that were carried out on the last day at work before giving the sample.

Among electricians there were no differences in the metal levels, regardless of the tasks on that day. However, among welders, there were differences: those who reported stick welding had higher metal levels than women who did not do stick welding.

In addition, welders who reported TIG welding had lower metal levels than those who did not do TIG welding. We are continuing to analyze these metal levels and will have more results to share in future updates.

For those interested in participating can join the WHAT-ME study at www.whatme.ualberta.ca or write to whatme@ualberta.ca or call 1-866-492-6093.

Source: University of Alberta

Blog posts of interest:

• Study probes effects on dust, welding fumes on women
• Welding hazards: Protect yourself from welding fumes and soldering fumes
• Healthy welders may be at increased risk of brain damage
• Compensation fund set up for workers affected by welding fumes

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Heart defects at birth linked to solvents at work

Women can be exposed through synthetic textiles
and dyes, among many other sources.
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Women who are exposed to organic solvents at the workplace have a higher risk of giving birth to babies with a heart defect, new research shows.

Many pregnant women may be exposed to solvents, which are often used in chemical manufacturing and in industries where substances such as fats, oils and waxes need to be dissolved or cleaned.

Organic solvents are common ingredients in

• Paints
• Varnishes
• Adhesives
• Degreasing and cleaning agents
• Dyes
• Polymers
• Plastic
• Synthetic textiles
• Printing inks
• Agricultural products

By handling these products, workers may breathe in organic chemicals, or they may enter the body through mouth or skin.

The researchers assessed the levels of workplace exposure to solvents in 5000 women in the United States from one month before conception up to the end of the first trimester.

Pregnant women exposed to solvents at work
may put their babies at risk, a study shows.

The women took part in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study and their babies were delivered between 1997 and 2002.

Since exposure to organic solvents (chlorinated solvents, aromatic solvents, hydrocarbons) is relatively common in the workplace, industrial hygienists focused on these chemicals and possible associations to birth defects.

Their approach showed a 4-5% higher risk of heart defects, but they cautioned that the results did not allow the drawing of definitive conclusions on specific types of exposure and specific congenital heart defects.

The study appeared online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Source: Science Daily Press Release

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Healthcare workers can help reduce impacts of environmental pollution: Experts

New analysis calls for more proactive role of reproductive health specialists

Doctors can help produce healthier future generations.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) say that Ob-gyns could play a major role in reducing the effects of toxic chemicals on women and babies.

They could do this with a multifaceted approach:

• Evaluating patients’ environmental exposures to chemicals
  This includes occupational exposures to chemicals and solvents
   
• Providing education
  How to reduce exposure to chemicals at home, in the community and at work
  This information could be incorporated into childbirth classes, distributed through brochures and fliers and personal consultations
    
• Help in implementing broader strategies to influence government policy
  Work with professional organizations to bring about policy change and within their institutions for better food models, for example
  Air pollution is a big risk that cannot be controlled on the individual level

Every individual is exposed to a wide range of natural and synthetic chemicals, and the number has risen dramatically over the past 70 years, the researchers say.

Environmental pollution a widespread problem

Virtually all pregnant women in the US carry multiple chemicals, including some that had been banned since the 1970s and others that can be found in common household products like non-stick cookware, processed foods and personal care products.

The problem is that more and more studies show that even low exposures to environmental chemicals can affect reproductive and developmental health.

The chemicals are a particular concern before and during pregnancy, when exposures have been linked to a number of health problems, the researchers say.

Just by making patients aware and talking about certain risk factors and ways to reduce exposure could help produce healthier future generations.

The researchers warned that the majority of chemicals used for commercial purposes enter the marketplace without being tested or standardized, and they could be very harmful for fetuses and infants in the developing stages.

Source: UCSF

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