Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, MA, USA.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Corresponding author at: 1090 Tusculum Avenue Mailstop R-11, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, USA..
Environ Int. 2018 Jul;116:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.03.035. Epub 2018 Apr 6.
Coaches spend long hours training gymnasts of all ages aided by polyurethane foam used in loose blocks, mats, and other padded equipment. Polyurethane foam can contain flame retardant additives such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), to delay the spread of fires. However, flame retardants have been associated with endocrine disruption and carcinogenicity. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated employee exposure to flame retardants in four gymnastics studios utilized by recreational and competitive gymnasts. We evaluated flame retardant exposure at the gymnastics studios before, during, and after the replacement of foam blocks used in safety pits with foam blocks certified not to contain several flame retardants, including PBDEs. We collected hand wipes on coaches to measure levels of flame retardants on skin before and after their work shift. We measured flame retardant levels in the dust on window glass in the gymnastics areas and office areas, and in the old and new foam blocks used throughout the gymnastics studios. We found statistically higher levels of 9 out of 13 flame retardants on employees' hands after work than before, and this difference was reduced after the foam replacement. Windows in the gymnastics areas had higher levels of 3 of the 13 flame retardants than windows outside the gymnastics areas, suggesting that dust and vapor containing flame retardants became airborne. Mats and other padded equipment contained levels of bromine consistent with the amount of brominated flame retardants in foam samples analyzed in the laboratory. New blocks did not contain PBDEs, but did contain the flame retardants 2-ethylhexyl 2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate and 2-ethylhexyl 2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate. We conclude that replacing the pit foam blocks eliminated a source of PBDEs, but not 2-ethylhexyl 2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate and 2-ethylhexyl 2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate. We recommend ways to further minimize employee exposure to flame retardants at work and acknowledge the challenges consumers have identifying chemical contents of new products.
教练们花费大量时间训练各个年龄段的体操运动员，他们使用的是聚氨酯泡沫材料，这种材料被用于松散的积木、垫子和其他软垫设备中。聚氨酯泡沫材料中可能含有阻燃添加剂，例如多溴二苯醚 (PBDEs)，以延缓火势蔓延。然而，阻燃剂与内分泌干扰和致癌性有关。美国国家职业安全与健康研究所 (NIOSH) 评估了四家供娱乐和竞技体操运动员使用的体操工作室中员工接触阻燃剂的情况。我们在安全坑中使用的泡沫块更换为未含有几种阻燃剂（包括 PBDEs）的泡沫块之前、期间和之后，评估了体操工作室中的阻燃剂暴露情况。我们收集了教练的手部擦拭物，以测量他们工作前后皮肤上的阻燃剂水平。我们测量了体操区和办公室窗户玻璃上灰尘、体操区和办公室窗户玻璃上灰尘以及整个体操工作室中使用的新旧泡沫块中的阻燃剂水平。我们发现，与工作前相比，员工工作后手上有 13 种阻燃剂中的 9 种水平明显升高，而这种差异在更换泡沫块后有所降低。体操区的窗户中含有 13 种阻燃剂中的 3 种水平高于体操区外的窗户，这表明含有阻燃剂的灰尘和蒸汽已进入空气中。垫子和其他软垫设备中含有溴的水平与实验室分析的泡沫样本中含有的溴化阻燃剂数量一致。新的泡沫块不含 PBDEs，但含有阻燃剂 2-乙基己基 2,3,4,5-四溴邻苯二甲酸酯和 2-乙基己基 2,3,4,5-四溴邻苯二甲酸酯。我们得出结论，更换坑内泡沫块消除了 PBDEs 的一个来源，但没有消除 2-乙基己基 2,3,4,5-四溴邻苯二甲酸酯和 2-乙基己基 2,3,4,5-四溴邻苯二甲酸酯。我们建议采取进一步措施，最大限度地减少员工在工作中接触阻燃剂，并承认消费者在识别新产品的化学含量方面所面临的挑战。
