ThisThis Heal Healthth Ha Hazzardard E Evvaluaaluationtion ( H(HHHEE) )report report and and any any r ereccoommmmendendaatitonsions m madeade herein herein are are f orfor t hethe s sppeeccifiicfic f afacciliilityty e evvaluaaluatedted and and may may not not b bee un univeriverssaalllyly appappliliccabable.le. A Anyny re reccoommmmendaendatitoionnss m madeade are are n noot tt oto be be c consonsideredidered as as f ifnalinal s statatetemmeenntsts of of N NIOIOSSHH po polilcicyy or or of of any any agen agenccyy or or i ndindivivididuualal i nvoinvolvlved.ed. AdditionalAdditional HHE HHE repor reportsts are are ava availilabablele at at h htttptp:/://ww/wwww.c.cddcc.gov.gov/n/nioiosshh/hhe/hhe/repor/reportsts ThisThis HealHealtthh HaHazzardard EEvvaluaaluattionion ((HHHHEE)) reportreport andand anyany rreeccoommmmendendaattiionsons mmadeade hereinherein areare fforor tthehe ssppeecciifficic ffaacciliilittyy eevvaluaaluatteded andand maymay notnot bbee ununiiververssaallllyy appappapplililicccababablle.e.le. A AAnynyny re rerecccooommmmmmendaendaendattitiooionnnsss m mmadeadeade are areare n nnooott t t totoo be bebe c cconsonsonsiideredderedidered as asas f fifinalnalinal s ssttataatteteemmmeeennnttstss of ofof N NNIIOIOOSSSHHH po popolliilccicyyy or oror of ofof any anyany agen agenagencccyyy or oror i indndindiivviviiddiduuualalal i invonvoinvollvvlved.ed.ed. AdditionalAdditional HHEHHE reporreporttss areare avaavaililabablele atat hhtttpp::///wwwwww..ccddcc..govgov//nnioiosshh//hhehhe//reporreporttss This Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) report and any recommendations made herein are for the specific facility evaluated and may not be universally applicable. Any recommendations made are not to be considered as final statements of NIOSH policy or of any agency or individual involved. Additional HHE reports are available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports HEALTH HAZARD EVALUATION REPORT HETA 88-0140-2517 BOISE CASCADE UNITED PAPERWORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION RUMFORD, MAINE PREFACE The Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch of NIOSH conducts field investigations of possible health hazards in the workplace. These investigations are conducted under the authority of Section 20(a)(6) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 669(a)(6) which authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, following a written request from any employer and authorized representative of employees, to determine whether any substance normally found in the place of employment has potentially toxic effects in such concentrations as used or found. The Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch also provides, upon request, medical, nursing, and industrial hygiene technical and consultative assistance (TA) to federal, State, and local agencies; labor; industry; and other groups or individuals to control occupational health hazards and to prevent related trauma and disease. Mention of company names or products does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. - ii - HETA 88-0140-2517 NIOSH INVESTIGATORS: AUGUST 1995 Robert Mouradian, Ph.D. BOISE CASCADE Susan Burt, M.Sc., M.S.N. UNITED PAPERWORKERS Allison Tepper, Ph.D. INTERNATIONAL UNION Kevin Hanley, M.S.P.H., C.I.H. RUMFORD, MAINE SUMMARY In May 1988, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request for a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) from the United Paperworkers International Union (UPIU). The request asked NIOSH to assess employee exposures to polychlorinated dibenzo-p- dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) formed as by-products during wood pulp bleaching at pulp and paper mills. In response to this request, NIOSH investigators conducted walk-through surveys at a number of pulp and paper mills in order to select a facility for a more in-depth site survey. The Boise Cascade Paper Company in Rumford, Maine, was selected for further study since it had high PCDD/PCDF waste-water effluent levels reported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an older stable work population with many years of potential exposure, complete employment records, and the willingness of workers to participate. The survey at the Boise Cascade plant consisted of environmental monitoring and analysis of serum samples from workers and community residents to assess exposures to PCDDs, PCDFs, and CVOCs. In August 1989, five area air samples were collected and analyzed for the 2,3,7,8-tetra PCDD/PCDF isomers and total tetra PCDD/PCDF isomers. In August 1991, five surface wipe samples were collected and analyzed for the 2,3,7,8-tetra PCDD/PCDF isomers as well as specific and total tetra-chlorinated through octa-chlorinated PCDD and PCDF isomers. The PCDD/PCDF concentrations are reported as 2,3,7,8-TCDD toxicity equivalents (I-TEQ) using the 1989 International Toxicity Equivalency Factors (I-TEFs). Airborne I-TEQ concentrations ranged from .01 to .06 picograms per cubic meter (pg/m3). (These results however, may be a slight underestimate of the true I-TEQ due to analytic limitations.) Of the five air sample locations, the highest I-TEQ concentrations were detected in the hardwood bleach plant and at the hardwood rewind station. The wipe sample results indicated greater amounts of PCDDs/PCDFs near the dry end of a paper machine and on the side of a hardwood chlorine bleaching rinse tank. The TEQ levels on the surface wipe samples ranged from 13 to 651 picograms per square meter (pg/m2) in the bleach plant and from 86 to 1049 pg/m2 in the paper mill. All I-TEQ concentrations were well below the National Research Council (NRC) guideline of 10.0 pg/m3 for airborne PCDDs/PCDFs and 25,000 pg/m2 for PCDD and PCDF surface contamination. Neither the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) nor the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) have evaluation criteria for PCDDs/PCDFs. NIOSH considers 2,3,7,8-TCDD to be a potential human carcinogen and recommends that occupational exposure be controlled to the lowest feasible level. Area and personal breathing zone (PBZ) air samples were also collected and analyzed for CVOCs during the August 1991 survey. Mass spectroscopy analysis qualitatively identified many compounds. Chloroform, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, dibromochloromethane, and bromodichloromethane were the major compounds detected and these were quantitatively analyzed with gas chromatography (GC). Area concentrations of chloroform obtained near ports of pulp bleaching rinse tanks ranged from 1.8 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) to 116 mg/m3 and were highest at the hypochlorite stage. During the initial sampling survey in August 1991, some PBZ exposures of bleach plant operators exceeded the NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) for chloroform of 10 mg/m3. A follow-up visit was conducted in March 1992 to assess the impact of process changes on airborne chloroform concentrations. This survey found chloroform levels to be substantially lower, indicating that the process changes resulting in reduced usage of hypochlorite in the bleaching process were successful in lowering workers' exposures below the NIOSH REL. Serum samples were collected from two groups of Boise Cascade workers and community residents and analyzed for PCDDs and PCDFs. Overall, there were no appreciable differences among the exposure groups (community resident, low exposure potential worker, high exposure potential worker) for specific PCDDs or PCDFs. The highest values, however, occurred consistently in seven workers, all but one of whom had worked for some time in the paper mill. Neither exposure group nor duration in high exposure potential jobs was related to PCDD and PCDF serum levels. Serum levels of PCDDs and PCDFs in both workers and community residents generally were within the range previously reported for persons with no known occupational exposure. Industrial hygiene data collected at the Rumford mill indicate the potential for workers to be exposed to low levels of PCDDs and PCDFs. Current body burdens of PCDDs and PCDFs were within the background ranges previously reported for persons with no known occupational exposure. Differences between mill workers and community residents in serum concentrations of PCDDs and PCDFs were small. Although the highest levels for specific PCDDs and PCDFs occurred in workers, these results were not clearly related to occupational exposure. No relationship was seen between PCDD or PCDF levels in serum and work in jobs thought to have a potential for high exposure. Air sampling results indicate that process modifications have substantially reduced the potential for overexposure to chloroform. The prohibition of smoking and eating in exposure areas, use of personal protective equipment to reduce dermal contact, and periodic exposure monitoring are recommended. KEYWORDS: SIC 2621 (Pulp and Paper Mills), wood pulping, bleaching, paper machines, chlorine, hypochlorite, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorinated dibenzo-p- dioxins, TCDD, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, toxicity equivalents, I-TEQ, chloroform, serum. Page 3 - HETA 88-0140-2517 INTRODUCTION In May 1988, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request for a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) from the United Paperworkers International Union (UPIU). The UPIU asked NIOSH to evaluate workplace exposures to polychlorinated dibenzo-p- dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans