Exposure of Hairdressing and Bakery Apprentices to Airborne Hazardous Substances and Flour Dust

Abstract

P-796 Introduction: Hairdressing and bakery are well known as occupations at risk of asthma. However, precise exposure studies in hairdressing salons and bakeries among apprentices are rare. Methods: This study describes exposure levels of apprentices to airborne chemical products used in hairdressing salons and flour dust used in bakery. A group of 586 hairdressing and bakery students completed a questionnaire about their work activities and environment. Among these, a smaller group of 28 hairdressers and 34 bakers subjects volunteered, along with their employers, to undergo personal exposure and workplace concentrations measurements during a cold and a hot season. Three chemical substances were studied (ammonia, hydrogene peroxyde and persulfates) in hairdressing salons. Aerosols were sampled with the Harvard ChemPass. Chemical analyses were carried out at the French national institute of occupational security (INRS) according to reference methods (German BIA method for persulfates and INRS for ammonia and hydrogene peroxyde). In bakeries, only personal exposure to PM10 flour dust was measured. PM10 flour dust was collected on Teflon filters and weighed with a Mettler balance. Results: Personal H2O2 and NH3 exposure values are greater than work place concentrations. Average (SD) air concentrations are respectively 0.037 (0.031) and 0.677 (0.425) mg.m3; corresponding personal exposures are 0.051 (0.042) and 0.900 (0.762) mg.m3), with no variation according to season (all rank sum test p values >= 0.40). Persulfates results show slightly greater personal exposures values during the summer period, 0.011 (0.012) mg.m3 in winter, and 0.022 (0.028) mg.m3 in summer) (p=0.11) with similar workplace concentrations. Over half of technical spaces where chemical substances are prepared by apprentices have no door or windows opening outside, nor ventilation systems. The ACGIH persulfate ammonium TLV is 0.1 mg/m3; French TLVs for H2O2 and ammonia are 1.5 mg/m3 and 7 mg/m3, respectively. Exposure to PM10 flour dust is on average 0.61 (0.33) mg/m3 during the hot season, and significantly greater in winter (0.84 mg/m3 (0.73)). French TLVs for total dust is 10 mg/m3. Discussion and Conclusions: Hairdressing salons and bakeries are typically small, the most probable reason why occupational hygiene measures such as appropriate ventilation are too rarely implemented. As a consequence, young apprentices may experience exposures to known airways irritants and allergens.