starch dust

Hi I wondered if starch dust above WEL's could be a potential asthmagen? If not, would anyone consider spirometry as baseline and regular being required to monitor for COPD? Dust masks are being used whilst engineering controls are being looked at. thank you in anticipation

Occupational Asthma, Health Professional, 3/8/2012, 3/9/2012,

There are reports of maize starch as a sensitiser, much of the problem with latex gloves arose from the latex binding to the starch powder. In addition there is now good evidence that regular exposure to inhaled irritants can cause occupational asthma, as well as being inplicated (at least epidemiologically) in COPD. Some references attached Burge PS, Moore VC, Robertson AS, Sensitization and irritant-induced occupational asthma with latency are clinically indistinguishable, Occup Med, 2012;62:129-133, Maniu C-M, Faupel U, Siebenhaar G, Hunzelmann N, Maize starch should be considered as a potential occupational allergen in tablet manufacturing., Allergy, 2010;65:630-631, LaMontagne AD, Radi S, Elder DS, Abramson MJ, Sim M, Primary prevention of latex related sensitisation and occupational asthma: a systematic review, Occup Environ Med, 2006;63:359-364, Hollander A, Heederik D, Kauffman H, Acute respiratory effects in the potato processing industry due to a bioaerosol exposure, Occup Environ Med, 1994;51:73-78, Tarlo SM. Sussman G. Contala A. Swanson MC, Control of airborne latex by use of powder-free latex gloves, J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1994;93:985-989,

3/9/2012

thank you very much this is very useful and clarifies things well. Janet

3/9/2012