FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Brandon Adams 919-541-2359
1 October 2003

Illnesses from Disinfectant Exposure on the Job Higher for Teens than Adults

Study Published Today in Environmental Health Perspectives Finds Bleach, Other Irritants Affect Young Workers

[RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC] Working youth face safety and health risks from occupational exposure to disinfectants at a rate far higher than adults, according to a study published today in the October issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). The study reviewed data from the federal government and the state of California from 1993 through 1998 and found 307 reported cases of acute occupational disinfectant-related illness, or an average of 51 cases per year. There were 16.8 illnesses per billion hours worked.
Disinfectants are among the janitorial supplies used in institutional, commercial, and consumer settings. They are also widely used in the food industry to assist in the production, preservation, preparation, and serving of foods. The study found that, although 32% of employed California youth aged 15-17 worked in eating and drinking establishments, that industry accounted for 57% of reported illnesses.
Today’s study analyzed records from the U.S. government’s Toxic Exposure Surveillance System and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Hypochlorites, the category of disinfectant that includes bleach, were responsible for 45% of the illnesses. In most cases, the youth were not wearing basic protective equipment like gloves and goggles.
“These findings suggest the need for greater efforts to prevent adolescent acute occupational disinfectant-related illness,” the study authors write. “This may require strengthening regulations and enforcement as well as increased educational efforts directed at employers, youth, parents, school officials, and physicians. Better mechanisms for reporting and tracking chemical illnesses among working adolescents are also needed.”
Several case studies included in the study represent the types of illnesses teens may face on the job. In one case, a 17-year-old female food services worker splashed disinfectant in her left eye while cleaning a sink. She missed three days of work with corneal burns. In another case, two males aged 14 and 16 mixed bleach, lime descaler, and a detergent to clean the walls of a gym shower. They experienced coughing, burning of the eyes, and throat and chest irritation from breathing in the released chlorine gas.
Commenting on the study, Dr. Jim Burkhart, science editor for EHP, says, “Young people are often less educated about the dangers of disinfectants, less likely to resist assignments that could be dangerous, and less likely to report exposure. While none of the cases studies resulted in significant disability or disfigurement, we need to make sure employers, parents, and teens know about basic precautions.”
The study team was led by Theresa A. Brevard of the Ohio State University School of Public Health. Other authors include Geoffrey M. Calvert, Jerome M. Blondell, and Louise N. Mehler.
EHP is the journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. More information is available online at http://www.ehponline.org/.

Editor’s note: A full copy of this report is available by fax or e-mail (PDF format) to media at no charge. Go to http://www.ehponline.org/press/, call 919-541-2359, or e-mail badams@brogan.com.

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Environmental Health Perspectives Celebrates Children's Health Month
Free Online Access to EHP Children's Health Articles
To promote awareness of important issues concerning children's health and the environment, EHP is providing free access to all children's health news and research articles on ehponline during October. Go to www.ehponline.org/childrenshealth for user name and password.