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The identification of a sensitizing component used in the manufacturing of an ink ribbon.

Anderson SE; Tapp L; Durgam S; Meade BJ; Jackson LG; Cohen DE

J Immunotoxicol 2012 Mar; 9(2):193-200

https://doi.org/10.3109/1547691X.2011.654364

20040431

Skin diseases including dermatitis constitute approximately 30% of all occupational illnesses, with a high incidence in the printing industry. An outbreak of contact dermatitis among employees at an ink ribbon manufacturing plant was investigated by scientists from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Employees in the process areas of the plant were exposed to numerous chemicals and many had experienced skin rashes, especially after the introduction of a new ink ribbon product. To identify the causative agent(s) of the occupational dermatitis, the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) was used to identify the potential of the chemicals used in the manufacture of the ink ribbon to induce allergic contact dermatitis. Follow-up patch testing with the suspected allergens was conducted on exposed employees. Polyvinyl butyral, a chemical component used in the manufacture of the ink ribbon in question and other products, tested positive in the LLNA, with an EC3 of 3.6%, which identifies it as a potential sensitizer; however, no employees tested positive to this chemical during skin patch testing. This finding has implications beyond those described in this report because of occupational exposure to polyvinyl butyral outside of the printing industry.

Skin-diseases; Skin-irritants; Contact-dermatitis; Dermatitis; Allergic-dermatitis; Printing-inks; Skin-exposure; Skin-lesions; Chemical-factory-workers; Chemical-hypersensitivity; Chemical-processing; Chemical-reactions; Bioassays; Lymph-nodes; Lymphatic-system; Patch-tests; Skin-sensitivity; Allergens; Allergic-reactions; Industrial-exposures; Author Keywords: Polyvinyl butyral; local lymph node assay; occupational contact dermatitis; ink ribbon manufacturing

Stacey E. Anderson, PhD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA

JIOMAP

63148-65-2

20120301

Journal Article

sanderson4@cdc.gov

Grant

2012

Grant-Number-T01-OH-008431; B03142012

2

1547-691X

DSHEFS; HELD

Journal of Immunotoxicology

WV; OH; NY

West Virginia University