Abstract
BackgroundThe primary aim of the present study was to investigate if exposure to dust from absorbent hygiene products containing superabsorbent polymer is related to symptoms from the airways and from the eyes. The secondary aim was to estimate the current exposure to superabsorbent polymer among production and maintenance workers in a plant producing hygiene products.MethodsThe cohort comprised 1043 workers of whom 689 were exposed to super absorbent polymer and 804 were exposed to paper dust (overlapping groups). There was 186 workers not exposed to either superabsorbent polymer or to paper dust They were investigated with a comprehensive questionnaire about exposure, asthma, rhinitis and symptoms from eyes and airways. The results were analyzed with logistic regression models adjusting for sex, age, atopy and smoking habits. An aerosol sampler equipped with a polytetrafluoroethylene filter with 1 μm pore size was used for personal samplings in order to measure inhalable dust and superabsorbent polymer.ResultsThe prevalence of nasal crusts (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.01-2.0) and nose-bleeding (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.4) was increased among the paper dust exposed workers (adjusted for superabsorbent polymer exposure). There were no significant effects associated with exposure to superabsorbent polymer (adjusted for paper dust exposure). The average exposure to inhalable levels of total dust (paper dust) varied between 0.40 and 1.37 mg/m3. For superabsorbent polymer dust the average exposure varied between 0.02 and 0.81 mg/m3.ConclusionsIn conclusion, our study shows that workers manufacturing diapers in the hygiene industry have an increased prevalence of symptoms from the nose, especially nose-bleeding. There was no relation between exposure to superabsorbent polymer and symptoms from eyes, nose or respiratory tract, but exposure to paper dust was associated with nose-bleeding and nasal crusts. This group of workers had also a considerable exposure to superabsorbent polymer dust.
Highlights
The primary aim of the present study was to investigate if exposure to dust from absorbent hygiene products containing superabsorbent polymer is related to symptoms from the airways and from the eyes
On the basis of the questionnaire, exposure to superabsorbent polymer was defined as a positive answer to “During which years have you in your work been in exposed to superabsorbent (SAP)?” and exposure to paper dust was defined as a positive answer to “During which years have you in your work been exposed to paper dust/cellulose?”
At the production plants the average exposure during 8 h for the machine operators to inhalable dust was 1.37 mg/m3 and to superabsorbent polymer it was 0.02 mg/m3
Summary
The primary aim of the present study was to investigate if exposure to dust from absorbent hygiene products containing superabsorbent polymer is related to symptoms from the airways and from the eyes. In manufacturing of hygiene products like diapers and tampons, superabsorbent polymer is used This is a polymerized acrylate that is added to cellulose, resulting in a product with enormous ability to absorb water, which has caused an increased use of this substance in the production of hygiene products. In a criteria document from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft animal studies, most of them not published in Workers manufacturing hygiene products are exposed to paper dust. There are several studies where an increased prevalence of lower airways symptoms and impaired lung function has been related to occupational exposure to soft paper dust [2,3,4,5]. Subjects exposed to paper dust have been shown to have an increased prevalence of different nasal symptoms [6]
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