Exposure to chloramines in a green salad processing plant

Area of Science:

• Industrial hygiene
• Occupational health
• Environmental chemistry

Background:

• Acute irritation symptoms (eye, upper respiratory) were reported by workers at a green salad processing facility.
• The facility utilizes water containing hypochlorite for processing.
• Plant sap proteins, released during vegetable cutting, contain nitrogen compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the causative agents of reported irritation.
• To develop and implement methods for assessing worker exposure to airborne contaminants.
• To quantify chloramine concentrations in the workplace atmosphere.

Main Methods:

• Development of specific sampling techniques for airborne contaminants.
• Application of analytical methods to detect and quantify chloramines.
• Area and personal air sampling to measure exposure levels.

Main Results:

• Chloramines, including monochloramine, dichloramine, and nitrogen trichloride, were identified in the facility's atmosphere.
• Total chloramine concentrations in the washing room ranged from 0.4 to 16 mg.m⁻³.
• Worker exposure, measured by personal sampling, ranged from 0.2 to 5 mg.m⁻³.

Conclusions:

• The identified chloramines are the likely cause of the workers' irritation symptoms.
• Measured exposure levels are significant and comparable to levels known to cause irritation in other occupational settings.
• The developed methods allow for effective assessment of workplace exposure to these irritant compounds.