Eye and respiratory symptoms in poultry processing workers exposed to chlorine by‐products
Abstract
Background: CDC/NIOSH responded to a request to investigate complaints of eye and respiratory irritation among workers in a poultry processing facility's evisceration department. Methods: Investigators administered symptom questionnaires and sampled for chlorine and chloramines. Spirometry was performed on workers before and after their work shift. Results: Symptoms were significantly more prevalent in evisceration workers than in dark meat workers (a control group). Air concentrations of chloramine compounds (i.e., trichloramine and ‘soluble chlorine’) were significantly higher in the evisceration area than the dark meat area. Exposure levels were significantly higher for employees reporting various symptoms compared to employees not reporting those symptoms. Mean trichloramine exposure concentrations were significantly higher in workers with significant cross‐shift declines in lung function; air concentrations of ‘soluble chlorine’ were higher as well, however, not significantly so. Conclusions: Results of this evaluation suggest a health hazard may exist from exposure to chloramines. Am. J. Ind. Med. 49:119–126, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the poultry industry, full-shift personal sampling of trichloramine had a geometric mean ranging from non-detectable to 0.16 mg/m3.
“King et al. (2006) performed full-shift personal sampling of trichloramine in the poultry industry.The geometric mean (GM) ranged from non-detectable to 0.16 mg/m 3 .”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. 2006
In the food processing industry, trichloramine constitutes approximately 30-70% of the chlorine species in air.
“In the food processing industry, trichloramine constitutes approximately 30-70% of the chlorine species in air (H ery et al. 1995, 1998;King et al. 2006;Massin et al. 2007).”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. 2006
Inorganic chloramines are strong mucous membrane irritants.
“In summary, inorganic chloramines are strong mucous membrane irritants”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. 2006
Food industry workers and competitive swimmers are to a higher degree co-exposed to soluble chlorine from aerosols or the chlorinated water itself than swimming pool workers.
“Food industry workers (King et al. 2006;Massin et al. 2007) and competitive swimmers (L evesque et al. 2006) are to a higher degree co-exposed to soluble chlorine from aerosols or the chlorinated water itself than swimming pool workers.”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. 2006
Several cross-sectional studies have shown higher prevalences of self-reported ocular and/or upper airway irritation among workers occupationally exposed to inorganic chloramines and competitive swimmers compared to an unexposed reference group.
“several cross-sectional studies have shown higher prevalences of self-reported ocular and/or upper airway irritation among workers occupationally exposed to inorganic chloramines and competitive swimmers compared to an unexposed reference group”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. 2006
No significant associations have been found between levels or duration of trichloramine exposure and self-reported asthma symptom, pulmonary function, airway hyperreactivity and airway inflammation.
“No significant associations have been found between levels or duration of trichloramine exposure and self-reported asthma symptom, pulmonary function, airway hyperreactivity and airway inflammation.”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. 2006
In a cross-sectional study of US poultry processing workers, in the first survey, evisceration workers reported more work-related wheezing (OR 5.9, 95% CI 1.4-40) and coughing (OR 6.2, 95% CI 2.1-21) than dark meat workers, with ORs adjusted for smoking status.
“1 st survey: Evisceration workers reported more (OR, | 95% CI) work-related wheezing (5.9, 1.4-40) and | coughing (6.2, 2.1-21) than dark meat workers, ORs | adjusted for smoking status.”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. (2006)
In that study, the GM concentration of soluble chlorine was also higher in those with significant cross-shift declines in FEV1, but not significantly (0.071 mg/m3 versus 0.022 mg/m3).
“The GM concentration of soluble chlorine was also | higher in those with significant cross-shift declines | in FEV 1 , however, not significant (0.071 mg/m 3 versus 0.022 mg/m 3 )”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. (2006)
In that survey, the prevalence of work-related asthma symptoms was also higher in evisceration workers, but non-significant.
“The prevalence of | work-related asthma symptoms was also higher in | evisceration workers (non-significant)”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. (2006)
In a cross-sectional study of poultry processing workers in the United States, 3/34 subjects had significant cross-shift declines in FEV1 (>10%).
“3/34 subjects had significant cross-shift declines in FEV 1”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. (2006)
In that study, concurrent exposure to trichloramine and soluble chlorine makes it difficult to identify the responsible agent.
“Concurrent exposure to trichloramine and soluble | chlorine makes it difficult to identify the responsible | agent”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. (2006)
In the second survey of that study, workers (both groups) reporting current asthma symptoms did not have higher exposure to trichloramine than those without symptoms.
“2 nd survey: Workers (both groups) reporting current | asthma symptoms did not have higher exposure to | trichloramine than those without symptoms.”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. (2006)
In that survey, no association between exposure to trichloramine and asthma symptoms (adjusted for smoking habits) was found.
“No | association between exposure to trichloramine and | asthma symptoms (adjusted for smoking habits) was | found.”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. (2006)
In that survey, instead, an association between soluble chlorine and current asthma symptoms was reported.
“Instead, an association between soluble | chlorine and current asthma symptoms was reported”
From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as King et al. (2006)
Cites
Occupational asthma caused by chloramines in indoor swimming-pool air
Thickett, K. M., McCoach, J. S., Gerber, J. M., Sadhra, S., & Burge, P. S. (2002) · European Respiratory Journal · doi:10.1183/09031936.02.00232802 · Cited by 266 · see citing works
Exposure to chloramines in the atmosphere of indoor swimming pools
HERY, M. (1995) · The Annals of Occupational Hygiene · doi:10.1016/0003-4878(95)00013-5 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Drowning in disinfection byproducts? Assessing swimming pool water
Zwiener, C., Richardson, S. D., De Marini, D. M., Grummt, T., Glauner, T., & Frimmel, F. H. (2007) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es062367v · Cited by 380 · see citing works
Ayranci, U. G., Ozunlu, O., Ergezer, H., & Karaca, H. (2020) · Ozone: Science & Engineering · doi:10.1080/01919512.2019.1653168 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Occupational exposures of airborne trichloramine at indoor swimming pools in Taipei
Chu, T.-S., Cheng, S.-F., Wang, G.-S., & Tsai, S.-W. (2013) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.012 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Wastensson, G., & Eriksson, K. (2020) · Critical Reviews in Toxicology · doi:10.1080/10408444.2020.1744514 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Chlorine, Chlorination By-Products and Their Allergic and Respiratory Health Effects
Kohlhammer, Y., & Heinrich, J. (2007) · Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews · doi:10.2174/157339807779941839 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
- Authors
- King, B. S., Page, E. H., Mueller, C. A., Dollberg, D. D., Gomez, K. E., & Warren, A. M.
- Affiliations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
- Corresponding author
- King, Bradley S.
- ORCID
- King, Bradley S.
- Venue
- American Journal of Industrial Medicine
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-01-17
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 119-126
- ISSN
- 0271-3586 (ISSN-L)
- 1097-0274
- OpenAlex
- W1998222043
- Cited by
- 19
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 1.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Industrial Medicine (publishedVersion, public-domain)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Occupational exposure and asthma
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Keywords
- poultry processing workers, chlorination by-products, chloramines, trichloramine, eye irritation, respiratory irritation, occupational exposure, lung function decline, occupational hazards
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Agricultural Workers' Diseases, Animals, Chlorides, Chlorine, Eye Diseases, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Poultry, Surveys and Questionnaires, Respiratory Tract Diseases, Spirometry, Virginia, Case-Control Studies, Nitrogen Compounds
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
