Health complaints attributed to the use of carbonless copy paper (a preliminary report)

Persistent health complaints attributed to the use of carbonless copy paper by office workers on the campus of the University of Washington led to this preliminary study. The goals were to estimate the extent of the problem in a population of known carbonless copy paper users; to describe those health problems which the users attribute to the use of carbonless copy paper; and to make a preliminary determination of the chemical constituents of the paper. Participants were asked to complete a health questionnaire and to attach to it copies of the forms they used. A minimum estimate of 10.7 health complainants per 100 users was similar to that found by investigators in Denmark, but lower than that reported by other investigators and of anecdotal material reported to the study group. There was a statistically significant association between complainants and the amount of paper used. Reports of headaches and irritation of the skin, eye and respiratory tract were similar to those reported elsewhere. Concurrent factors such as poor ventilation, high temperature and/or low humidity need to be investigated for possible synergistic or additive effects.