Monitoring exposure of brewery workers to CO2: a study of cellar workers and controls

Carbon dioxide exposure of nineteen cellar workers and twenty nonexposed controls in a medium size brewery was assessed by determining base excess and standard bicarbonate of the plasma before work on Monday and after work on Monday and Friday. Standard bicarbonate averaged 0.6mEq/L higher in the cellar workers than the controls when samples taken at the same time were compared. This difference was not statistically significant. Standard bicarbonate and hemoglobin concentration declined significantly in both groups between Monday before work and Friday after work, suggesting that hemodilution had occurred. This may have been related to the comsumption of large amounts of beer or other fluid. The air breathed by three cellar workers was monitored continuously during working hours for one wk. Carbon dioxide concentrations varied widely, but yielded a time-weighted average of 1.08% carbon dioxide. The time-weighted average was inordinately difficult to establish under the working conditions in the brewery and was irrelevant with respect to acutely hazardous exposures.