Page:NIOSH Hazard review of Carbonless Copy Paper.pdf/122

 remarked that nasal or ocular irritation is probably explained by contact with soiled fingers. They did not think that it was likely that the oils produced respiratory irritation because of the low volatility of their constituents; however, they did not discuss paper fibers as a potential vehicle for the irritants.

Cameron et al. 1986. Cameron et al. [1986] studied the percutaneous absorption of triarylmethane and phenoxazine-type color former components of CCPs. The percutaneous absorption of carbon-14-labeled color former components of CCP was investigated in the rat as a model for assessing possible absorption of these components by human users of such papers. Formulations of a proprietary color former/solvent mixture were applied to the shaved backs of hooded rats. The mixture contained carbon-14-labeled 6-(dimethyl-amino)-3,3-bis(4-(dimethyl-amino) phenyl)-1(3H)isobenzofuranone (CVL), a triarylamine color former, or 10-benzoyl-N,N,N',N'-tetraethyl-3,7-diamino-10H-phenoxazine (BLASB), a phenoxazine color former. Some of the rats had been surgically prepared with bile duct and urinary bladder cannulae. Urine and bile samples were collected hourly for 24 hr and assayed for carbon-14 activity. The animals were then sacrificed, and carbon-14 activity was measured in the skin, skin dressing, and body. Selected animals were sacrificed 2, 6, 24, or 96 hr after application, and carbon-14 activity in the excreta, skin and dressings, and body was determined. Microhistoautoradiography was performed on the skins of some animals. Nearly all the CVL- or BLASB-derived carbon-14 activity was retained in or on the skin. Only 2.6% to 3.4% of the CVL and 1.0% to 2.1% of the BLASB doses were absorbed. During the 12 to 24 hr after application, 0.02% of the CVL and 0.11% of the BLASB doses were eliminated in the urine and bile. The authors conclude that CVL and BLASB are slowly absorbed into the systemic circulation following topical application to rat skin. The authors concluded that these results (if extrapolated to humans) suggest that percutaneous absorption of these compounds should not be significant during normal handling of CCP.

'Wolkoff et al. 1988.' Wolkoff et al. [1988] reported airway-irritating effects in mice exposed to CCP using sensory irritation techniques [Alarie 1973]. Four mice were exposed for 10 min to emissions from CCP and emissions from crushed and compressed virgin copy papers. One CCP suspected of causing complaints decreased the respiratory rate significantly more than did a second CCP used without adverse effects. This result suggests irritation. Because the CB layer of the first CCP produced only negligible irritation, the authors concluded that neither the solvent nor the color formers caused the irritation. The authors suggested that the irritation was due to one or more of the following: the evolution of formaldehyde or other unidentified irritants in the paper, the evolution of irritant solvents from the paper and their transfer to the hands of the users, and the transfer of irritant particulate matter from the paper to the hands. The authors concluded that it would be beneficial to minimize the free formaldehyde content of the paper, eliminate volatile irritants from the CCP, and minimize the transfer of irritant particulates or solvents to the skin.

Anderson 1992. Anderson [1992] used standard method ASTM E 981 [ASTM 1984] an adaptation of the Alarie [1973] method (which evaluates respiratory irritation) in mice to assess the offgassing of CCP and determine its effects on sensory irritation (upper airway) and pulmonary irritation (deep lung). Using groups of mice, the author concluded CCP to be a demonstrable irritant for both upper and lower airways, causing a greater than 50% change in respiratory rate. The type or composition of the CCP was not given except that it was