Risk of enzyme allergy in the detergent industry
Markku Vanhanen, Timo Tuomi, Ulla Tiikkainen, Outi Tupasela, Risto Voutilainen, Henrik Nordman
Finnish Institute of
Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
Correspondence to: Markku Vanhanen, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 aA, FIN-00250 Helsinki, Finland. email Markku.Vanhanen{at}occuphealth.fi
Accepted 16
September 1999
OBJECTIVES
To assess
the prevalence of enzyme sensitisation in the detergent industry.
METHODSA cross
sectional study was conducted in a detergent factory. Sensitisation to
enzymes was examined by skin prick and radioallergosorbent (RAST)
tests. 76 Workers were tested; 40 in manufacturing, packing, and
maintenance, and 36 non-exposed people in management and sales departments. The workers were interviewed for work related respiratory and skin symptoms. Total dust concentrations were measured by a
gravimetric method, and the concentration of protease in air by a
catalytic method.
RESULTSNine workers
(22%) were sensitised to enzymes in the exposed group of 40, whereas
none were sensitised in the non-exposed group. All the sensitised
people had symptoms at work; all had rhinitis and one had asthma.
Protease concentrations were generally <20 ng/m3,
but occasional peak values up to 80 ng/m3 were detected in
the packing and maintenance tasks, and high values of >1
µg/m3 in the mixing area.
CONCLUSIONDespite the
use of encapsulated enzyme preparations, high enzyme concentrations in
workplace air are possible, resulting in a higher risk of sensitisation
than expected.
Keywords: detergent enzymes; occupational exposure; allergy
© 2000 by Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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