Asthma in the Workplace: Questions Remain About Causes
Posted by proforma on April 17, 2009
What is contributing to asthma in the work environment? Can it be controlled? What are we being exposed to, anyway?
According to Dr. Ray Wells, Ph.D., of the NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division, there probably is no single chemical responsible for asthma-related illnesses, but exposure to mixed chemical classes.
Of particular note, Dr. Wells cites consumer cleaning, deodorizing and surface finishing products that can be present in indoor environments. “Natural” or “green” cleaning products can contain terpenes, which are hydrocarbons produced by plants like conifers.
According to Wells, “. . .[N]atural does not always mean safe. Terpenes can react with components in the indoor environment to form new chemicals that might be the irritants responsible for the observed increases in work-related asthma.” Ozone transported from outside by building ventilation triggers potentially harmful reactions with terpenes.
Conventional sampling methods are not capturing these oxidation products. Additional research is being conducted by NIOSH; for further information, go to the NIOSH blog.
Filed Under: Workplace Safety
