Hazards from Exposure to Benzidine Congener Dyes
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Preve Hazards from Exposure to Benzidine Congener Dyes U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Public He~lth Service Centers for Disease Control National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health PREVENTING HEALTH HAZARDS FROM EXPOSURE TO BENZIDINE CONGENER DYES U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Public Health Service Centers for Disease Control National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health January 1983 DISCLAIMER Mention of company names or products does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 83-105 PREFACE Exposures to benzidine congener dyes in the workplace may increase the risk of cancer in the exposed workers. In particular, dyes based on the chemical benzidine may be carcinogenic; dyes based on o-tolidine or o-dianisidine may also pose a carcinogenic risk to workers. Cancer could be caused by the dye itself, by leftover parent chemicals and impurities in the dye after its manufacture, or by chemicals resulting from breakdown of the dye in the body. The risk of cancer extends beyond the manufacture of benzidine congener dye where there is potential exposure to benzidine (a known carcinogen), o-tolidine, or o-dianisidine (suspected carcinogens). Workers who use the dye or the dyed product may also be at risk and should be well protected. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed this publication to alert supervisors, workers, safety committees, and safety directors to these hazards as well as to suggest the necessary protective measures. To "aid in determining whether or not benzidine congener dyes are being used in a particular setting, Appendix A lists many of their tradenames and synonyms, grouped by their parent chemical. • Dona'N'l'...·f+Jr< istant rector, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health iii CONTENTS PREFACE iii BACKGROUND 1 QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED ABOUT BENZIDINE CONGENER DYES 2 Sources of Exposure/Who Is Exposed i Reduction of Exposure 4 Personal Protective Equipment 6 Health Effects/Medical and Environmental Evaluation 9 APPENDIX A- BCD Tradenames and Generic Names, By Pa~ent Chemical 11 Benzidine-Based Dyes 12 o-Tolidine-Based Dyes 30 o-Dianisidine-Based Dyes 35 APPENDIX B- Sources of Additional Information 43 v BACKGROUND 2. Leftover' parent chemicals 1n commercial preparations of these dyes are either known In this publication. the term (benzidine) or suspected benzidine congener dyes (BCDs) (o-to1idine. o-dianisidine) refers to commercial preparations carcinogens. of those dyes produced from either benzidine. ortho-to1idine. or ortho 3. Benzidine congener dye pro dianisidine. The term "congener" ducts are not pure. and may (Latin for "same family") refers to contain actual or potential their similarities in. chemical carcinogens other than the structure. dyes and their parent com pounds. Impurities may have Like many other technical grade dye been present at the time of formulations. each commercial benz manufacture. or could have idine congener dye may contain been formed as a resul t of several chemicals. At least four dye breakdown during storage. of these chemicals--leftover parent especially if the dye had compound (the so-called "chemical been exposed to heat. intermediate"). certain impurities. breakdown products. and the dye 4. Those BeDs tested were con itse1f--may pose serious health verted to the parent chemical hazards to workers. in the bodies of several species of test animals. Approximately 82 benzidine congener Available evidence supports dyes are now or have been widely biotransformation in humans used in the u.s. They are marketed of benzidine-based dyes to under several hundred tradenames the parent compound, (many are listed in Appendix A of benzidine. Although less this publication). Although each conclusive at this time, of these 82 dyes has not been there is also evidence that specifically tested for health humans metabolize o-to1idine effects, they have several based dyes to their parent important similarities. These chemicals. similarities have led scientists at the National Institute for Occupa 5. Members of this family of tional Safety and Health (NIOSH) to dyes. the benzidine con conclude. after extensive review of geners. have closely related the data. that exposure to any of chemical structures. them in the workplace may .increase the risk of cancer to exposed Earlier. when only the parent cour workers. pound or other chemical precursors were thought to be hazardous. The conclusions reached by these attention was focused on dye manu scientists were based on the fo1- facturing workers. Howeve~s lowing find ings: a result of tests performed by the National Cancer Institute. it is 1. Those dyes tested showed now believed that the dyes theur cancer-causing potential. selves are potential carcinogens. 1 Of the entire range of chemicals In summary, several benzidine tested to date in the National congener dyestuff constituent~- Cancer Institute's bioassay program, the dye itself, leftover parent three benzidine-based dyes demon compound, breakdown products, and strated the shortest "time-to certain impurities--may ,present tumor" interval. These results serious health hazards. suggested that the benzidine-based dyes themselves might be very potent For the reasons discussed above, carcinogens. Because the dyes NIOSH recommends that worker themselves--not simply leftover· exposure to benzidine-bas~d dyes be intermediates, breakdown products, reduced to the lowest level or contaminants--may be carcino feasibh, preferably by substitut genic, it is not enough to protect ing safer dyes for benz idine-based against exposure to the dyes only dyes. during dye manufacture. Workers who apply the dye and workers who The available data on dyes based on process the dye are also exposed to o-tolidine and o-dianisidine, while a health hazard and must also be less extensive and definitive well protected. than those for benz idine-based dyes, suggest that these dyes, and Dye house workers are probably the certain dye contaminants (including most significantly exposed workers. breakdown products occurring during Much less is known about the storage or heating), may also potential dye exposure of workers present a cancer risk to workers. processing BCD-dyed fabrics, Exposure to these two additional leather, and paper after these classes of dyes should therefore be materials leave the dyeing plant. minimized. NIOSH recommends, as a Generation of particulates from the prudent public health measure, that BCD-dyed materials might occur, for substitution of less toxic dyes be example, in cutting, sewing, knit used as a control measure wherever ting, weaving, and finishing possible. operations. Although dye exposure in these . processing operations is not well QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED ABOUT characterized, we do know that dyed BENZIDINE CONGENER DYES particulates are generated when fabrics are prepared from dyed fibers, and that dyed particulates SOURCES OF EXPOSURE/ are released during cutting and WHO IS EXPOSED sewing operations. Q: What are the most common Because the possibility of dye industrial sources of exposure to exposure during processing activi benzidine congener dyes (BeDs)? ties exists, but exposure data are at present not available, a deter A: Exposure to BeDs is especially mination of whether such workers likely during various manufactur face any health hazard from working ing operations: with BCD-dyed materials must await further investigation. Synthesis 2 Processing (especially spray facturing and dyeing settings where drying, presscake drying, particulates may be generated. milling, pulverizing, and blending) This work involves dyed textiles, Packaging leather, or paper in the following Transportation processing operations: Maintenance and cleanup. Finishing Exposure can also occur during Cutting kinds of dyeing procedures: Sewing Knitting or weaving with dyed Textile dyeing fibers. Pulp and paper dyeing Leather and fur dyeing. It is not known whether workers who are exposed to the dusts of Examples of these exposure situa BCD-dyed textiles or leather, such tions include dye weighing and as in cutting or sewing opera m1x1ngi transfer to dyeing vats or tions, face risks similar to BCD paper beaters; leather . spraying; workers in manufacturing and maintenance aDd cleanup work; applications industries. The handling of dyed fabric, paper, measurements needed to determine fur, or leather; stripping of the nature and level of exposure to imperfectly dyed materials; and such dyed dusts have not yet been waste treatment and disposal made. operations. Other applications in which BCD Q: Are only production workers exposure may take place include the exposed? manufacture of: A: No. Production workers are Water-based inks often the most routinely exposed Wood stains workers; but maintenance and Plastics cleanup crews can also be signif Pigments icantly exposed. Such workers Hair dyes risk exposure when local exhaust Typewriter ribbons ductwork requires cleaning, spills Printed textiles must be cleaned up, or process Soaps equipment must be disassembled. Consumer dyeing products These individuals are of particu Wood flours used as lar concern because some of the resin fillers most effective exposure controls Biological stains and avaIlable to production staff, such indicators. as process enclosure and local exhaust ventilation, are often the The use of BCDs may have been least likely to be available to discontinued in some