Airborne irritant contact dermatitis due to sewage sludge

An outbreaks of cases of airborne irritant contact dermatitis developed among incinerator workers employed in a sewage treatment facility. Contamination of the workplace and workers' clothing by sludge from the interstices of an incinerator exhaust fan proved to be the cause of the problem. The irritancy of the sludge was determined by tests in rabbits. There was no recurrence of the problem after the institution of hygienic measures designed to control contact with the sludge during subsequent fan maintenance procedures.