Industrial Hygiene Sampling Procedures Paper Example

Introduction

Diisocyanates (DIC) are common industrial requirements used in the processing of paints, insecticides, elastomers, adhesives as well as rigid polyurethane foams (Pokorski et al., 2013). As such, their byproducts are commonly released into the environment to cause pollution (InPokorski, 2015). However, there is a threshold of hygiene requirements that every industry must fulfil to ensure that its employees' health is not threatened. In this case, keeping employees away from DIC prevent the adverse effects of these compounds on human health. Typical examples of the health complications brought about by these compounds include the toxification of mucous membranes in which human lung tissues inflame, and subsequently face functional changes, occupational asthma affecting 2.9% to 13% of individuals exposed to these compounds as well as allergic reactions.

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Preventive measures can be laid by such processing plants to avoid the toxicities and these adverse effects. For instance, the health effects of exposure to these items decrease the diffusion of oxygen in the lungs and narrow the bronchus (American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2012). This necessitates the evaluation of chemical hazard to establish their concentration in the environment in which employees work. Through evaluation, one can determine the concentration of these chemicals. Consequently, measures can be drawn and actions can be taken to counter their side effects to ensure that employees are free from harm.

Sampling Procedures

Sampling procedures are typically used to identify, and subsequently quantify the DIC content among workers (Whitaker, 2010). These techniques reveal the precise concentrations of toluene diisocyanate (TDI), Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HDI), as well as 4,4'-methylene bis (phenyl isocyanate) as the significant examples of DIC that workers are easily exposed to while working in various departments of such industries. To establish hygiene levels and safety among workers employed in the polyurethane foam processing plans, research was successfully done on a group of 30 workers representing the whole industry. The group was composed of various individuals from the various operational departments within the industry, and this ranged from the initial preparation processes, programming, and control of the proportionality of the raw materials, and subsequently the foaming processes (Lachapelle, & Maibach, 2012). There is a disparity in exposure among these individuals, and studying all of them reveals data on every individual representing their respective department. Data was collected from them through pricking their skins by use of common allergens, physical examination as well as allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (Ig E) antibodies. This created an elaborate between DIC and the functionality of the pulmonary airways. This was done in connection with the following procedures discussed below.

Questionnaire

Clinical examination was cutting across the whole group, and questionnaires were specifically administered to reveal the medical history of every employee. The significant points of interests included occupational exposure, any respiratory symptoms, smoking status, history on atopy factors as well as probable exposure to domestic allergens from animals.

Skin Prick Tests (SPT)

SPT tests were successfully carried out on the intradermal regions of forearms because they bear common allergens in which feathers, moulds, tree and tree pollens stand out as excellent examples (Lachapelle, & Maibach, 2012).

Induced Sputum Analysis

This procedure sampled cellular profile obtained from 18 workers to establish the role of DIC, together with its components in pulmonary diseases. Sputum is a significant source of information that establishes the interplay between the two (Jindal, & Agarwal, 2011).

Results

The study revealed that health complications were resulting from exposure to DIC. For instance, the mild bronchial obstruction was significant in five workers in which one of them has a prior asthma diagnosis. This revolves the pulmonary system and exposure to these chemicals. The tests also indicated cases of non-specific bronchial hyperactivity among five other patients. Again, ISP samples obtained from 18 workers indicated the presence of unknown dust within the macrophages, and this also has strong links to the fumes and dust form DIC. Twenty other workers, from the department in which MDI is intensively employed in production, were also tested for MDI, and it came out clear that MDI concentrations were on the lower side of the threshold (Jindal, & Agarwal, 2011). In other tests, TDI metabolites obtained from urine samples exceeded the minimum requirements of Biological Monitoring Guidance Value (BMGV).

Discussion

DIC is the leading agent when it comes to occupational triggers to respiratory complications, especially asthma. This explains the significant role played by sampling techniques through which researchers establish and quantify the components of DIC responsible for each respiratory complication. Again, this study accounts for some of the respiratory disorders from similar causes (Whitaker, 2010). For instance, allergic asthma resulting from DIC is characterized by hyperresponsiveness of the airways as well as inflammation. Typically, this subject creates an interplay between industrial hygiene and the resultant health implications of the allergens resulting from such agents.

Conclusions

Hygiene at the workplace, especially processing plants, is a crucial aspect in ensuring health safety. Typically, establishing prophylactic measures against exposure to harmful and toxic products is critical. However, this is not a reality in some cases, and thus, there is a need to establish the toxic products that workers are exposed to, and to what amounts. This is where sampling techniques come in. The most prevalent sampling techniques used is sputum analysis, the pricking of the skin and physical examination of body parts such as skin. Regarding DIC exposure, respiratory disorders are the major aftermath. Asthma is the most common of all, and these disorders are generally characterized by hyperresponsiveness of the airways as well as obstruction.

References

American Institute of Chemical Engineers. (2012). Guidelines for evaluating process plant buildings for external explosions, fires, and toxic releases. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.

InPokorski, M. (2015). Environment exposure to pollutants. Cham: Springer, [2015] 2015.

Jindal, S. K., & Agarwal, R. (2011). Textbook Of Pulmonary And Critical Care Medicine Vols 2. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Pvt. Ltd.

Lachapelle, J.-M., & Maibach, H. I. (2012). Patch testing and prick testing: A practical guide official publication of the ICDRG. Berlin: Springer.

Pokorski, M., Holownia, A., Wielgat, P., Skopinski, T., Kolodziejczyk, A., Sitko, A. A., Braszko, J. Akademia Medyczna w Bialymstoku. (2013). Neurobiology of respiration. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media.

Whitaker, T. B. (2010). Sampling procedures to detect mycotoxins in agricultural commodities. Dordrecht: Springer.