Epidemiologic Notes and Reports Exposure to Ammonia during
Removal of Paint from Artificial Turf -- Ohio
Complaints of respiratory and conjunctival irritation were
reported among workers using anhydrous ammonia to remove painted
lines
from artificial turf at a sports stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
About
five times each year, when professional baseball and football
seasons
overlap, lines on the playing field must be altered repeatedly to
accommodate the use of the stadium for both sports. In August
1983,
investigators from the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and
Health (NIOSH) evaluated the symptoms reported by the workers (1).
The investigators interviewed 26 workers about symptoms associated
with the paint-removal procedure and collected air samples to
measure
airborne exposures to ammonia during such operations.
Of 26 workers interviewed, 25 (96.2%) reported "burning eyes,"
18
(69.2%) "nasal congestion," and 16 (61.5%) "acute shortness of
breath"
during the paint-removal operation. Although NIOSH-certified
respirators were available, the respirators were old, poorly
maintained, and used sporadically. No formal respiratory
protection
program was followed. Few workers were observed wearing gloves and
goggles.
Results of tests for ammonia on 18 samples of air from the
personal-breathing-zones of workers revealed that
time-weighted-average (TWA) concentrations ranged from 11.9 parts
per
million (ppm) to 52.4 ppm. The current Occupational Safety and
Health
Administration standard for ammonia establishes a permissible
exposure
limit at 50 ppm expressed as a TWA (2). The American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists has recommended that TWA
concentrations of ammonia be less than 25 ppm (3).
Mean short-term (15-minute) exposures were much higher than the
TWAs for workers who used buffers to remove the lines after
anhydrous
ammonia was applied; the average short-term exposure was 90 ppm,
and
the maximum exceeded 300 ppm for workers who actually applied
ammonia. NIOSH recommends that short-term exposures to ammonia not
exceed 50 ppm (4).
Based on these observations, the investigators recommended that
a
more dilute solution of aqueous ammonia (reduced from 20% to 8%) be
used to remove the lines (these recommendations are in accordance
with
those of the artificial turf manufacturer). NIOSH also recommended
that appropriate protective equipment for the eyes, skin, and
respiratory tract be provided and that workers be properly trained
in
the use of such equipment.
Reported by the Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Br, Div
of
Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC.
Editorial Note
Editorial Note: Ammonia is a severe irritant of the eyes,
respiratory
tract, and skin. Acute exposure to high concentrations of ammonia
gas
may produce severe burns of the cornea and skin; splashing liquid
ammonia into the eyes has caused blindness (5). Repeated exposure
may
cause chronic irritation of the conjunctivae and upper respiratory
tract (4).
The major hazard found in this investigation was the short-term
exposure of workers to high concentrations (over 300 ppm) of
ammonia.
By diluting the ammonia and using appropriate protective equipment,
this problem is preventable.
References
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Health
hazard evaluation report no. HETA 83-381-1411. Cincinnati,
Ohio:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1984.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA safety and
health standards. 29 CFR 1910.1000. Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, revised 1980.
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
Threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical
agents
in the workroom environment with intended changes for 1982.
Cincinnati, Ohio: American Conference of Governmental
Industrial
Hygienists, 1982.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Criteria
for a recommended standard: occupational exposure to ammonia.
Cincinnati, Ohio: National Institute for Occupational Safety
and
Health, 1974. DHEW publication no. (NIOSH) 74-136.
Proctor NH, Hughes JP. Chemical hazards of the workplace.
Philadelphia: JB Lippincott Company, 1978.
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