Boylstein Randy, Piacitelli Chris, Grote Ardith, Kanwal Richard, Kullman Greg, Kreiss Kathleen
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA.
J Occup Environ Hyg. 2006 Oct;3(10):530-5. doi: 10.1080/15459620600909708.
In microwave popcorn workers, exposure to butter flavorings has been associated with fixed obstructive lung disease resembling bronchiolitis obliterans. Inhalation toxicology studies have shown severe respiratory effects in rats exposed to vapors from a paste butter flavoring, and to diacetyl, a diketone found in most butter flavorings. To gain a better understanding of worker exposures, we assessed diacetyl emissions and airborne dust levels from butter flavorings used by several microwave popcorn manufacturing companies. We heated bulk samples of 40 different butter flavorings (liquids, pastes, and powders) to approximately 50 degrees C and used gas chromatography, with a mass selective detector, to measure the relative abundance of volatile organic compounds emitted. Air sampling was conducted for diacetyl and for total and respirable dust during the mixing of powder, liquid, or paste flavorings with heated soybean oil at a microwave popcorn plant. To further examine the potential for respiratory exposures to powders, we measured dust generated during different simulated methods of manual handling of several powder butter flavorings. Powder flavorings were found to give off much lower diacetyl emissions than pastes or liquids. The mean diacetyl emissions from liquids and pastes were 64 and 26 times larger, respectively, than the mean of diacetyl emissions from powders. The median diacetyl emissions from liquids and pastes were 364 and 72 times larger, respectively, than the median of diacetyl emissions from powders. Fourteen of 16 powders had diacetyl emissions that were lower than the diacetyl emissions from any liquid flavoring and from most paste flavorings. However, simulated handling of powder flavorings showed that a substantial amount of the airborne dust generated was of respirable size and could thus pose its own respiratory hazard. Companies that use butter flavorings should consider substituting flavorings with lower diacetyl emissions and the use of ventilation and enclosure engineering controls to minimize exposures. Until controls are fully implemented, companies should institute mandatory respiratory protection for all exposed workers.
在微波爆米花工厂的工人中，接触黄油调味料与类似闭塞性细支气管炎的固定性阻塞性肺病有关。吸入毒理学研究表明，暴露于糊状黄油调味料的蒸汽以及大多数黄油调味料中含有的二酮类物质双乙酰的大鼠会出现严重的呼吸系统影响。为了更好地了解工人的接触情况，我们评估了几家微波爆米花制造公司使用的黄油调味料的双乙酰排放量和空气中的粉尘水平。我们将40种不同黄油调味料（液体、糊状物和粉末）的大量样品加热至约50摄氏度，并使用配有质量选择检测器的气相色谱法来测量所排放挥发性有机化合物的相对含量。在一家微波爆米花工厂将粉末、液体或糊状调味料与加热的大豆油混合过程中，对双乙酰以及总粉尘和可吸入粉尘进行了空气采样。为了进一步研究接触粉末导致呼吸系统暴露的可能性，我们测量了几种粉末状黄油调味料在不同模拟人工处理方法过程中产生的粉尘。发现粉末状调味料释放的双乙酰比糊状物或液体少得多。液体和糊状物的双乙酰平均排放量分别比粉末的双乙酰平均排放量高64倍和26倍。液体和糊状物的双乙酰排放中位数分别比粉末的双乙酰排放中位数高364倍和72倍。16种粉末中有14种的双乙酰排放量低于任何液体调味料和大多数糊状调味料的双乙酰排放量。然而，对粉末状调味料的模拟处理表明，产生的大量空气中粉尘是可吸入粒径的，因此可能构成自身的呼吸危害。使用黄油调味料的公司应考虑用双乙酰排放量较低的调味料替代，并采用通风和封闭工程控制措施以尽量减少暴露。在全面实施控制措施之前，公司应为所有暴露的工人制定强制性呼吸防护措施。
