Department of Occupational Medicine, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Department of Occupational Medicine, The Regional Hospital Goedstrup, University Research Clinic, Herning, Denmark.
Br J Dermatol. 2022 Dec;187(6):988-996. doi: 10.1111/bjd.21830. Epub 2022 Sep 16.
A high prevalence of skin sensitization and dermatitis has been reported among workers exposed to epoxy components.
To estimate the risk of skin sensitization and dermatitis among workers exposed to epoxy components during production of wind turbine blades while using comprehensive safety measures.
A cross-sectional study of 180 highly epoxy-exposed production workers and 41 nonexposed office workers was conducted at two wind turbine blade factories in Denmark. Participants underwent a skin examination, were tested with a tailored patch test panel including epoxy-containing products used at the factories, and answered a questionnaire.
Sixteen production workers (8·9%) were sensitized to an epoxy component compared with none of the office workers. Skin sensitization was more frequent within the first year of exposed employment. Strong selection bias by atopic status was indicated. Among nonatopic workers, the prevalence of dermatitis was higher among production workers (16·4%) than among office workers [6·5%, odds ratio (OR) 2·3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·6-9·1] and higher among the sensitized workers (43·8%) than the nonsensitized workers (14·6%, OR 4·5, 95% CI 1·6-12·7). Resins based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and F were the most frequent sensitizers. One of the four workers sensitized to epoxy components used at the factories did not react to the epoxy resin of the TRUE test panel.
Despite comprehensive skin protection, sensitization and dermatitis are prevalent among highly epoxy-exposed workers in the wind turbine industry in Denmark. Our findings document the need for intensified preventive efforts and emphasize the importance of tailored patch testing. What is already known about this topic? Epoxy components are well-known sensitizers of the skin. A high prevalence of skin sensitization and dermatitis has been reported among workers exposed to epoxy components. Comprehensive protective equipment is recommended when working with epoxy components. What does this study add? Despite comprehensive skin protection, skin sensitization and dermatitis are prevalent among epoxy-exposed workers. We found that 40% of workers sensitized to epoxy products had dermatitis. Only 75% of the sensitized workers were detected by the epoxy resin of the TRUE test , which emphasizes the importance of tailored testing.
接触环氧树脂成分的工人中，皮肤致敏和皮炎的发生率很高。
评估在使用综合安全措施的情况下，生产风力涡轮机叶片过程中接触环氧树脂成分的工人发生皮肤致敏和皮炎的风险。
在丹麦的两家风力涡轮机叶片工厂，对 180 名高度接触环氧树脂的生产工人和 41 名未接触的办公室工作人员进行了横断面研究。参与者接受了皮肤检查，并用包括工厂使用的含环氧树脂产品的定制斑贴试验进行了测试，并回答了一份问卷。
16 名生产工人（8.9%）对环氧树脂成分致敏，而办公室工作人员无一例致敏。皮肤致敏在接触就业的第一年更为常见。对特应性状态的强烈选择偏倚表明。在非特应性工人中，生产工人的皮炎患病率高于办公室工人（16.4%比 6.5%，比值比[OR]2.3，95%置信区间[CI]0.6-9.1），致敏工人的皮炎患病率高于非致敏工人（43.8%比 14.6%，OR 4.5，95% CI 1.6-12.7）。基于双酚 A 的二缩水甘油醚和 F 的树脂是最常见的致敏原。在工厂接触的环氧树脂成分中，有 1 名工人致敏，但对 TRUE 斑贴试验的环氧树脂无反应。
尽管采取了全面的皮肤保护措施，丹麦风力涡轮机行业高度接触环氧树脂的工人中皮肤致敏和皮炎仍很普遍。我们的研究结果表明需要加强预防工作，并强调定制斑贴试验的重要性。
环氧树脂成分是众所周知的皮肤致敏剂。接触环氧树脂成分的工人中，皮肤致敏和皮炎的发生率很高。当接触环氧树脂成分时，推荐使用全面的防护设备。本研究增加了哪些新内容？尽管采取了全面的皮肤保护措施，但接触环氧树脂的工人仍会发生皮肤致敏和皮炎。我们发现，40%对环氧树脂产品致敏的工人患有皮炎。只有 75%的致敏工人被 TRUE 试验的环氧树脂检测到，这强调了定制测试的重要性。
