Exposure to tetrachloroethylene in dry cleaning shops in the Nordic countries

Elsebeth Lynge; Håkan Tinnerberg; Lars Rylander; Pål Romundstad; Kristina Johansen; Marja-Liisa Lindbohm; Pirjo Heikkilä; Håkan Westberg; Lene Bjørk Clausen; Antoine Piombino; Brian Larsen Thorsted

doi:10.1093/annhyg/meq101

Exposure to tetrachloroethylene in dry cleaning shops in the Nordic countries

Elsebeth Lynge, Håkan Tinnerberg, Lars Rylander, Pål Romundstad, Kristina Johansen, Marja-Liisa Lindbohm, Pirjo Heikkilä, Håkan Westberg, Lene Bjørk Clausen, Antoine Piombino, Brian Larsen Thorsted

Center of Epidemiology and Screening

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: Tetrachloroethylene is the dominant solvent used in dry cleaning worldwide and many workers are potentially exposed. We report here on results of 1296 measurements of tetrachloroethylene undertaken in Nordic dry cleaning shops 1947-2001.Methods: We searched documents and files in the Nordic institutes of occupational health for air measurements of tetrachloroethylene. Repeated measurements from the same facility during a short time interval were registered only once using the time-weighted average. We registered also changes over time in occupational exposure limits (OELs) to tetrachloroethylene. Results: Only scattered measurements were available from the early years, and the exposure level seemed fairly stable up until the mid 1970s. The median exposure level was 20 p.p.m. in 1976 and decreased to 3 p.p.m. in 2000. Exposure levels in the four Nordic countries followed similar trends. In the late 1960s, the OELs varied between the Nordic countries from 30 to 100 p.p.m. Sweden was first to lower the limit, but limits gradually converged over time. At present, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden use 10 p.p.m., while Norway uses 6 p.p.m. Over time, the average observed exposure level was lower than the OEL in all countries, but in Denmark and Sweden, up to one-third of measured exposures exceeded the OEL. Overall, the stationary measurements for maintenance work showed 36 p.p.m., while the personal measurements showed 7.5 p.p.m. for dry cleaners and 6.25 p.p.m. for shop assistants.Conclusion: The Nordic data illustrate that it is possible over time to control chemical exposures even in an industry consisting of many small and scattered work places.

Original language	English
Journal	Annals of Occupational Hygiene
Volume	55
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	387-396
Number of pages	10
ISSN	2398-7308
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/meq101
Publication status	Published - May 2011

Keywords

Air Pollutants, Occupational
Denmark
Finland
Humans
Laundering
Norway
Occupational Exposure
Solvents
Sweden
Tetrachloroethylene

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10.1093/annhyg/meq101

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@article{2b9b2dd99fef47fdacc8ac3a1a9195d3,

title = "Exposure to tetrachloroethylene in dry cleaning shops in the Nordic countries",

abstract = "Objectives: Tetrachloroethylene is the dominant solvent used in dry cleaning worldwide and many workers are potentially exposed. We report here on results of 1296 measurements of tetrachloroethylene undertaken in Nordic dry cleaning shops 1947-2001.Methods: We searched documents and files in the Nordic institutes of occupational health for air measurements of tetrachloroethylene. Repeated measurements from the same facility during a short time interval were registered only once using the time-weighted average. We registered also changes over time in occupational exposure limits (OELs) to tetrachloroethylene. Results: Only scattered measurements were available from the early years, and the exposure level seemed fairly stable up until the mid 1970s. The median exposure level was 20 p.p.m. in 1976 and decreased to 3 p.p.m. in 2000. Exposure levels in the four Nordic countries followed similar trends. In the late 1960s, the OELs varied between the Nordic countries from 30 to 100 p.p.m. Sweden was first to lower the limit, but limits gradually converged over time. At present, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden use 10 p.p.m., while Norway uses 6 p.p.m. Over time, the average observed exposure level was lower than the OEL in all countries, but in Denmark and Sweden, up to one-third of measured exposures exceeded the OEL. Overall, the stationary measurements for maintenance work showed 36 p.p.m., while the personal measurements showed 7.5 p.p.m. for dry cleaners and 6.25 p.p.m. for shop assistants.Conclusion: The Nordic data illustrate that it is possible over time to control chemical exposures even in an industry consisting of many small and scattered work places.",

keywords = "Air Pollutants, Occupational, Denmark, Finland, Humans, Laundering, Norway, Occupational Exposure, Solvents, Sweden, Tetrachloroethylene",

author = "Elsebeth Lynge and H{\aa}kan Tinnerberg and Lars Rylander and P{\aa}l Romundstad and Kristina Johansen and Marja-Liisa Lindbohm and Pirjo Heikkil{\"a} and H{\aa}kan Westberg and Clausen, {Lene Bj{\o}rk} and Antoine Piombino and Thorsted, {Brian Larsen}",

year = "2011",

month = may,

doi = "10.1093/annhyg/meq101",

language = "English",

volume = "55",

pages = "387--396",

journal = "Annals of Occupational Hygiene",

issn = "2398-7308",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Exposure to tetrachloroethylene in dry cleaning shops in the Nordic countries

AU - Lynge, Elsebeth

AU - Tinnerberg, Håkan

AU - Rylander, Lars

AU - Romundstad, Pål

AU - Johansen, Kristina

AU - Lindbohm, Marja-Liisa

AU - Heikkilä, Pirjo

AU - Westberg, Håkan

AU - Clausen, Lene Bjørk

AU - Piombino, Antoine

AU - Thorsted, Brian Larsen

PY - 2011/5

Y1 - 2011/5

N2 - Objectives: Tetrachloroethylene is the dominant solvent used in dry cleaning worldwide and many workers are potentially exposed. We report here on results of 1296 measurements of tetrachloroethylene undertaken in Nordic dry cleaning shops 1947-2001.Methods: We searched documents and files in the Nordic institutes of occupational health for air measurements of tetrachloroethylene. Repeated measurements from the same facility during a short time interval were registered only once using the time-weighted average. We registered also changes over time in occupational exposure limits (OELs) to tetrachloroethylene. Results: Only scattered measurements were available from the early years, and the exposure level seemed fairly stable up until the mid 1970s. The median exposure level was 20 p.p.m. in 1976 and decreased to 3 p.p.m. in 2000. Exposure levels in the four Nordic countries followed similar trends. In the late 1960s, the OELs varied between the Nordic countries from 30 to 100 p.p.m. Sweden was first to lower the limit, but limits gradually converged over time. At present, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden use 10 p.p.m., while Norway uses 6 p.p.m. Over time, the average observed exposure level was lower than the OEL in all countries, but in Denmark and Sweden, up to one-third of measured exposures exceeded the OEL. Overall, the stationary measurements for maintenance work showed 36 p.p.m., while the personal measurements showed 7.5 p.p.m. for dry cleaners and 6.25 p.p.m. for shop assistants.Conclusion: The Nordic data illustrate that it is possible over time to control chemical exposures even in an industry consisting of many small and scattered work places.

AB - Objectives: Tetrachloroethylene is the dominant solvent used in dry cleaning worldwide and many workers are potentially exposed. We report here on results of 1296 measurements of tetrachloroethylene undertaken in Nordic dry cleaning shops 1947-2001.Methods: We searched documents and files in the Nordic institutes of occupational health for air measurements of tetrachloroethylene. Repeated measurements from the same facility during a short time interval were registered only once using the time-weighted average. We registered also changes over time in occupational exposure limits (OELs) to tetrachloroethylene. Results: Only scattered measurements were available from the early years, and the exposure level seemed fairly stable up until the mid 1970s. The median exposure level was 20 p.p.m. in 1976 and decreased to 3 p.p.m. in 2000. Exposure levels in the four Nordic countries followed similar trends. In the late 1960s, the OELs varied between the Nordic countries from 30 to 100 p.p.m. Sweden was first to lower the limit, but limits gradually converged over time. At present, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden use 10 p.p.m., while Norway uses 6 p.p.m. Over time, the average observed exposure level was lower than the OEL in all countries, but in Denmark and Sweden, up to one-third of measured exposures exceeded the OEL. Overall, the stationary measurements for maintenance work showed 36 p.p.m., while the personal measurements showed 7.5 p.p.m. for dry cleaners and 6.25 p.p.m. for shop assistants.Conclusion: The Nordic data illustrate that it is possible over time to control chemical exposures even in an industry consisting of many small and scattered work places.

KW - Air Pollutants, Occupational

KW - Denmark

KW - Finland

KW - Humans

KW - Laundering

KW - Norway

KW - Occupational Exposure

KW - Solvents

KW - Sweden

KW - Tetrachloroethylene

U2 - 10.1093/annhyg/meq101

DO - 10.1093/annhyg/meq101

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21292730

SN - 2398-7308

VL - 55

SP - 387

EP - 396

JO - Annals of Occupational Hygiene

JF - Annals of Occupational Hygiene

IS - 4

ER -

Exposure to tetrachloroethylene in dry cleaning shops in the Nordic countries

Abstract

Keywords

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