Metalworking Fluid Induced Asthma in The Industrial Work Place

"Metalworking Fluid Mist Exposure is Increasing The Prevalence of Asthma at an Alarming Rate."

Lung Disease and Asthma: The main reason for the NIOSH recommendation is the risk that metalworking fluids and their machinery mists pose for nonmalignant respiratory conditions such as asthma. Worker's exposure to metalworking fluids aerosols have been linked to causing a variety of respiratory conditions, including lipid pneumonia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asthma, acute airways irritation, chronic bronchitis, and impaired lung function.

While, the most diseases of the deep lung–lipid pneumonia, hard metal disease, and legionellosis–appear relatively unusual in workers exposed to metalworking aerosols, hypersensitivity pneumonitis is recently emerging as an important risk among workers exposed to metalworking mists; and substantial scientific evidence suggests that workers who are presently exposed to metalworking fluid aerosols have an significant increased risk of airways disorders, including asthma.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways in which a particle is breathed in can cause the bronchial pathways to narrow.  Workers exposed to synthetic, soluble and straight metalworking fluids have an increased risk of work-related asthma.

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Research Associating The Exposure of Metalworking Fluid Mist To The Increased Risk of Contracting Asthma

The Different Classes of Metalworking Fluids Associated with Increased Prevalence of Asthma.
Synthetic Metalworking Fluids - In one study the adjusted risk estimate for workers exposed to synthetic MWF mist was about three times the risk relative for unexposed workers. Risk guesses were increased in all three studies of asthma and exposure to synthetic MWF mist, although the finding in one study was not statistically significant.

Soluble Metalworking Fluids - The science associating asthma and exposure to soluble oil MWF mist is mildly less consistent than that for synthetic MWFs, but additional studies have investigated this relationship. Only two studies found elevated risk guesses that were statistically significant, but five of the seven epidemiologic studies of soluble oil MWF exposures concluded elevated risk estimates for asthma, with point estimates ranging upward from 1.7. Overall, the preponderance of evidence associated asthma with exposure to soluble oil MWF aerosol.

Straight Metalworking Fluids - The epidemiologic evidence for an association between asthma and exposure to straight oil MWF aerosol is less convincing than that for synthetic and soluble oil MWFs. None of the five studies of straight oil MWFs proved a significantly increased risk, one did not include an unexposed group necessary to derive a risk estimate, and two of the other four studies did have a nonsignificant elevated risk. Some clinical case reports suggest that asthma is associated with exposure to straight oil MWF aerosol or to compounds commonly found in straight oil MWFs.

Overall, the risk of asthma exists but is likely to be lower with exposure to straight oil MWF aerosol than with exposure to aerosol from other classes of MWFs.

MWF-induced asthma appears to involve known sensitizes in some cases but various other agents (possibly acting through irritant or inflammatory mechanisms) may cause a high proportion of cases.
These sensitizers and irritants include ethanolamine and other amines, colophony, pine oil, tall oil, metals and metallic salts (e.g., chromium, nickel), castor oil, formaldehyde, chlorine, various acids, and microbial contaminants including Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin. Studies of acute drops in lung function over a work shift also provide evidence that exposure to MWF aerosol is associated with asthma. In three of four pertinent studies, workers were more likely to experience acute loss of lung function as the level of exposure to MWF aerosol increased.

1. The four major classes of metalworking lubricants and metalworking oils that can cause health problems in the work place.

2. Health and Safety in Metalworking Industries: The 2 most common ways a worker can become exposed to metalworking fluids.

3. Workers are exposed to viruses and bacteria and other hazardous end products as a result of the inhalation of industrial mist.

4. Occupational exposure to metalworking fluids and machine mist can cause asthma.

5. Occupational exposure to metalworking fluids and machine mist can cause skin disorders.

6. Occupational exposure to metalworking fluids and machine mist can cause cancer.

 References:

Ameille J, Wild P, Choudat D, Ohl G, Vaucouleur JF, Chanut JC, et al. [1995].
Respiratory symptoms, ventilatory impairment, and bronchial reactivity in oil
mist-exposed automobile workers. Am J Ind Med 27(2):247B256.

Chan-Yeung M, Malo J-L [1993]. Compendium I: table of the major inducers of
occupational asthma. In: Bernstein IL, Chan-Yeung M, Malo J-L, Bernstein DI,
eds. Asthma in the workplace. New York, NY: Marcel-Dekker, Inc., pp. 595B623.

Eisen EA, Holcroft CA, Greaves IA, Wegman DH, Woskie SR, Monson RR
[1997]. A strategy to reduce healthy worker effect in a cross-sectional study of
asthma and metalworking fluids. Am J Ind Med 31(6):671B677.

Greaves IA, Eisen EA, Smith TJ, Pothier LJ, Kriebel D, Woskie SR, et al. [1995].
Respiratory health of automobile workers and exposures to metal-working fluid
aerosols. III. Lung spirometry. Boston, MA: Harvard School of Public Health,
Occupational Health Program. Final Draft.

Greaves IA, Eisen EA, Smith TJ, Pothier LJ, Kriebel D, Woskie SR, et al. [1997].
Respiratory health of automobile workers exposed to metal-working fluid aerosols.
II. Respiratory Symptoms. Am J Ind Med 32(5):450B459.

Hendy MS, Beattie BE, Burge PS [1985]. Occupational asthma due to an emulsified
oil mist. Br J Ind Med 42(1):51B54.

Kennedy SM, Greaves IA, Kriebel D, Eisen EA, Smith TJ, Woskie SR [1989].
Acute pulmonary responses among automobile workers exposed to aerosols of
machining fluids. Am J Ind Med 15(6):627B641.

Kriebel D, Eberiel D, Eisen EA, Eraso RM, Kumar S, Sama S, et al. [1994]. Field
investigations of the acute respiratory effects of machining fluids. Final report to
the UAW-GM National Joint Committee on Safety and Health, June 1, 1994.

Massin N, Bohadana AB, Wild P, Goutet P, Kirstetter H, Toamain JP [1996].
Airway responsiveness, respiratory symptoms, and exposures to soluble oil mist
in mechanical workers Occup Environ Med 53(11):748B752.

Michel O, Ginanni R, LeBon B, Content J, Duchateau J, Sergysels R [1992].
Inflammatory response to acute inhalation of endotoxin in asthmatic patients. Am
Rev Respir Dis 146(2):352B357.

Robins T, Seixas N, Franzblau A, Burge H, Abrams L, Minick S [1994]. Respiratory
effects of machining fluid Aerosols. Final Report to the UAW-GM Occupational
Health Advisory Board.

Rosenman KD, Reilly MJ, Kalinowski DJ [1997]. Work-related asthma and
respiratory symptoms among workers exposed to metal-working fluids. Am J Ind
Med 32(4):325B331.

Wild P, Ameille J [1997]. Bronchial reactivity in oil-mist exposed automobile
workers revisited [letter to the editor]. Am J Ind Med 32(4):421B432.
 

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