Olfactory loss in poly (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) plastic injection-moulding workers

• Published in: Occupational medicine (Oxford) Vol. 54; no. 7; pp. 469 - 474
• Main Author: Cheng, S.-F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.10.2004; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Acrylic Resins - toxicity; Acrylonitrile; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Butadienes - toxicity; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Factories; Humans; Injection; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases - chemically induced; Occupational exposure; Odors; Olfaction Disorders - chemically induced; Plastics; Plastics - toxicity; Polystyrenes - toxicity; Sensory Thresholds - drug effects; Smell - drug effects; Solvents; Styrene; Thermal decomposition; Toxicology; Asia; Taiwan; Human; Acrylonitrile; Toxicity; olfactory function; Occupational exposure; 1-Butanol threshold test; Butadiene; Organic solvent; ABS; odour identification test; plastic injection-moulding process; Styrene; Aerosols; Worker; Olfactory disorder; Plastics industry; Odor; Degradation product; Occupational medicine

Plastics manufacturing factories are the fifth largest category of factories in industrial estates in Taiwan. It is known that complex airborne compounds and pungent odours are emitted during plastic injection-moulding processes. Workers exposed to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) thermal decom...