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Health Hazard Evaluation Determination Report No. 76-31-338, Becton-Dickinson, Division of Becton-Dickinson and Company, Juncos, Puerto Rico,

PB89181457

Publication Date	1976
Personal Author	Rivera, R.; Harrington, M.
Page Count	19
Abstract	Environmental and medical surveys were conducted on February 18-20, 1976 to investigate reports of mercury poisoning in workers at the Becton-Dickinson Thermometer Factory in Juncos, Puerto Rico. Breathing zone mercury concentrations ranged up to 0.419 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/CuM), exceeding the OSHA standard of 0.l mg/CuM. Mercury concentrations in blood samples ranged from 4.0 to 39.9 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml), and exceeded the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of 35 ng/ml in one case. Mercury concentrations in the urine samples ranged from 10 to 120 ng/ml, which were below the equivalent MAC of 150 ng/ml. Eight cases of clinical mercurialism were diagnosed. The authors conclude that production workers are exposed to potentially toxic concentrations of mercury vapor. They recommend that work stations be vacuumed more frequently, that the company's surveillance procedures be reappraised, that protective clothing be provided and changed daily, that instructional programs be intensified to enhance employee awareness of the hazards of working with mercury, and that any exposure to mercury be minimized in women of reproductive age.
Keywords	Environmental surveys Industrial medicine Mercury(Metal) Temperature measuring instruments Vapors Reproduction(Biology) Exposure Toxicity Inspection Hazardous materials Toxic substances Occupational safety and health Region 2
Source Agency	Centers for Disease Control Bureau of Laboratories National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	57U - Public Health & Industrial Medicine 57Y - Toxicology 41I - Job Environment 94D - Job Environment 68G - Environmental Health & Safety 68A - Air Pollution & Control
Corporate Authors	National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	198915

Health Hazard Evaluation Determination Report No. 76-31-338, Becton-Dickinson, Division of Becton-Dickinson and Company, Juncos, Puerto Rico,

Health Hazard Evaluation Determination Report No. 76-31-338, Becton-Dickinson, Division of Becton-Dickinson and Company, Juncos, Puerto Rico,
PB89181457

Publication Date	1976
Personal Author	Rivera, R.; Harrington, M.
Page Count	19
Abstract	Environmental and medical surveys were conducted on February 18-20, 1976 to investigate reports of mercury poisoning in workers at the Becton-Dickinson Thermometer Factory in Juncos, Puerto Rico. Breathing zone mercury concentrations ranged up to 0.419 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/CuM), exceeding the OSHA standard of 0.l mg/CuM. Mercury concentrations in blood samples ranged from 4.0 to 39.9 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml), and exceeded the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of 35 ng/ml in one case. Mercury concentrations in the urine samples ranged from 10 to 120 ng/ml, which were below the equivalent MAC of 150 ng/ml. Eight cases of clinical mercurialism were diagnosed. The authors conclude that production workers are exposed to potentially toxic concentrations of mercury vapor. They recommend that work stations be vacuumed more frequently, that the company's surveillance procedures be reappraised, that protective clothing be provided and changed daily, that instructional programs be intensified to enhance employee awareness of the hazards of working with mercury, and that any exposure to mercury be minimized in women of reproductive age.
Keywords	Environmental surveys Industrial medicine Mercury(Metal) Temperature measuring instruments Vapors Reproduction(Biology) Exposure Toxicity Inspection Hazardous materials Toxic substances Occupational safety and health Region 2
Source Agency	Centers for Disease Control Bureau of Laboratories National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	57U - Public Health & Industrial Medicine 57Y - Toxicology 41I - Job Environment 94D - Job Environment 68G - Environmental Health & Safety 68A - Air Pollution & Control
Corporate Authors	National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	198915