Lead and Methylene Chloride Exposures Among Automotive Repair Technicians

Abstract

Potential exposures among repair technicians engaged in vehicle resurfacing operations prior to spray painting have not been thoroughly characterized. Environmental and personal air monitoring conducted in the State of Rhode Island have shown that automotive repair technicians may be exposed to metal particulates in sanding dust and methylene chloride vapors during vehicle paint removal operations. Hand wipe samples demonstrated that metals in sanding dust adhered to the hands of workers throughout the duration of the work day and were available for incidental ingestion from the handling of food/nonfood items and hand-to-mouth contact. A blood lead (PbB) screening effort among 21 workers at 2 facilities showed that 4 non-/less-exposed workers had mean PbB levels at the U.S. geometric mean of 2.8 μg/dL, while 2 out of 9 (22%) dedicated vehicle repair technicians had PbB levels at or above 30 μg Pb/dL whole blood—the level for potential adverse reproductive effects. Methylene chloride exposures were also found to exceed the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) 8-hr time-weighted average (TWA) action level and permissible exposure limit (PEL) in a limited number of samples (120 and 26 ppm, integrated work shift samples). Our findings suggest that thousands of professional technicians and vocational high school students may be at increased risk of adverse reproductive and/or other systemic effects.

Keywords:

• automobile refinishing
• blood lead
• chemical paint stripping
• lead
• lead paint
• methylene chloride

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank the automotive refinishing facility owners, technicians, and other employees who participated in this project, and the following individuals for their contributions to this work: Richard Scott, Jim Gamelin, and Sheila Marcotte with the Rhode Island Department of Health; James Kenny, CIGNA Environmental Health Laboratory; William Murphy, Davies Career and Technical School; and Kess Gagnon and Greg Sirianni, University of New Haven.

This work was supported in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region I Pollution Prevention Incentives for States Grant NP9913967-01-2.

Notes

^A Integrated work shift samples, unless otherwise noted.

^B Values shown in parentheses are for lead.

^C–K Simultaneous personal air samples.

^A Hours approximated based on observation and self-reported data for a 9-hr workday; less frequent and variable duties may also include surface grinding, chemical paint stripping, welding, spot sand blasting and priming, and application of body filler compound.

^B Observed smoking/drinking (coffee) in immediate work area.

^C Performed auto body work for family/friends outside of work.

^D Laboratory was unable to run lead analysis on blood samples obtained on two separate occasions using finger stick method due to clotting. A third (venous) sample had to be taken.

^E Ate/drank in immediate work area (self-reported).

^F Occasionally assisted in shop clean-up (e.g., swept floors) or other body shop activities.