NIOSH: Carbonless Copy Paper Review Announced

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> NIOSH - UPDATE

>

> http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ccprep.html

>

> Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 401-3749 January 5, 2001

>

> NIOSH REPORT ON CARBONLESS COPY PAPER REVIEWS DATA, SUGGESTS WAYS TO

> REDUCE SYMPTOMS

>

> In a new report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)

> National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reviews

> current scientific information on health effects associated with

> occupational exposure to carbonless copy paper, and recommends ways to

> reduce or eliminate symptoms.

>

> According to available data, exposure to certain types of carbonless

> copy paper or its components has resulted, under some conditions, in

> mild to moderate symptoms of skin irritation and irritation of the

> mucosal membranes of the eyes and upper respiratory tract, NIOSH said in

> the report, " NIOSH Hazard Review: Carbonless Copy Paper. "

>

> In most cases, good industrial hygiene and work practices should be

> adequate to reduce or eliminate symptoms, NIOSH suggested. These include

> adequate ventilation, humidity, and temperature controls; proper

> housekeeping; minimal hand-to-mouth and hand-to-eye contact; and

> periodic cleansing of hands. These recommendations are similar to ones

> that have been made by other researchers, programs, and agencies in the

> U.S. and abroad, according to the report.

>

> Data also indicate that exposure to carbonless copy paper or its

> components has been associated in rare cases with allergic contact

> dermatitis. NIOSH also noted two case reports of various reactions in

> three individuals, including shortness of breath and hives; those cases

> were reported more than 10 years ago, and there is no evidence, given a

> lack of similar reports in more recent literature, that current CCP

> exposures present a risk for these effects. Data are insufficient to

> evaluate claims of other adverse health effects, such as neurologic

> effects or reports of multiple chemical sensitivity, the report found.

> NIOSH also offered these recommendations:

>

> - NIOSH encourages carbonless copy paper manufacturers and their

> suppliers to follow professionally established " best practices " for

> product management, such as the American Chemistry Council's Product

> Stewardship Code of Management Practices. Manufacturers and suppliers

> also should consider enhancing their product guidance to reflect that

> published studies indicate that symptoms of irritation appear to

> increase with increasing exposure to CCP.

>

> - Carbonless copy paper manufacturers and their suppliers should

> consider how test procedures for assessing safety from skin contact can

> be modified to reflect exposures from high use of the paper. Current

> practices in product testing may not be sensitive enough to identify

> mild skin irritants.

>

> - As part of ongoing monitoring to identify potential work-related

> health effects in workers under general occupational safety and health

> programs, carbonless copy paper manufacturers and their suppliers may

> want to evaluate the frequency and severity of irritation in workers

> using carbonless copy paper.

>

> NIOSH initially evaluated the issue of potential health effects from

> occupational exposure to carbonless copy paper in 1987, at the request

> of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. NIOSH issued a

> public notice for information in 1987. The review of the then-available

> data found that no strong conclusion could be reached concerning a

> consistent link between carbonless copy paper and health effects.

>

> In 1997, as a result of continuing public interest in this issue, NIOSH

> issued a second notice to solicit new information available since 1987.

> The new NIOSH report is based on a review of the published,

> peer-reviewed scientific literature, and on more than 14,000 pages of

> information submitted in response to the NIOSH public notices in 1987

> and 1997.

>

> The new report is the most comprehensive scientific document available

> on issues relating to health concerns from exposure to carbonless copy

> paper. It includes extensive information about the components of

> carbonless copy paper, production processes, published and unpublished

> scientific data, and historical recommendations for preventing or

> reducing exposure to carbonless copy paper.

>

> " NIOSH Hazard Review: Carbonless Copy Paper, " DHHS (NIOSH) Publication

> No. 2001-107, is available by calling the toll-free NIOSH information

> number at 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674). The report, along with other

> information on NIOSH research, also is available on the World Wide Web

> at www.cdc.gov/niosh.