Laundered Shop Towels Come Clean About Dangerous Levels of Harmful Metals
December 18, 2013- A recent study reveals more evidence of a health risk associated with laundered shop towels in the workplace.
In an article entitled "Study: Laundered Shop Towels Could Expose Workers to Dangerous Levels of Harmful Metals," environmental health and safety website EHSToday.com is reporting that U.S. and Canadian factory workers who use laundered shop towels could be exposed to lead and other metals, according to a peer-reviewed study conducted by the environmental consulting firm Gradient.
"This study builds on a 2003 Gradient analysis showing that shop towels retain measurable levels of metals after commercial laundering and extends the findings presented in 2012 at the annual Society of Toxicology conference," said Gradient in a news release quoted in the article.
The Gradient study was funded by Kimberly-Clark Corp. and published in the October issue of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. Researchers estimated worker exposure to 28 different metals in laundered towels collected from 38 U.S. and 16 Canadian companies, including printing, automotive, aviation, chemical manufacturing, electronics, food and beverage packaging, metal manufacturing, military plants and a range of other industries.
EHSToday.com reports that in the study, exposure to metals by workers using laundered shop towels was estimated based on metal concentrations in towels and exposure modeling, and screened against recognized toxicity or regulatory criteria.
Gradient estimated worker exposure levels for the towels tested based on:
Gradient estimated worker exposure levels for the towels tested based on:
- Current data regarding transfer of residues to hands
- The number of towels workers used daily
- Approximations of the percent of towel surface area that came into contact with the hand
- The number of towels workers used daily
- Approximations of the percent of towel surface area that came into contact with the hand
- Transfer models developed by Gradient to estimate the movement of metals from towels to hands and then the mouth
- Using scanning electron microscope imaging to demonstrate the presence of heavy metal particles on the surface of the laundered shop towels too small to be seen with the naked eye
Here is a brief summary of the Gradient study:
• Each day workers using an average of 14 laundered shop towels could ingest lead 400 times higher than the health-based criterion for reproductive effects set by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and more lead than that associated with federal EPA's action level for drinking water.
• The study noted that workers cannot see, smell or feel heavy-metal residue on laundered shop towels used to wipe parts, spills and their hands. Barbara Beck, principal at Cambridge, Mass.-based Gradient, had this to say, "Much as bacteria and viruses can spread through touch and be ingested, heavy metals on shop towels may also be transferred through touch to workers' mouths and be swallowed."
• The study noted that workers cannot see, smell or feel heavy-metal residue on laundered shop towels used to wipe parts, spills and their hands. Barbara Beck, principal at Cambridge, Mass.-based Gradient, had this to say, "Much as bacteria and viruses can spread through touch and be ingested, heavy metals on shop towels may also be transferred through touch to workers' mouths and be swallowed."
• The study found that in addition the unhealthy exposure to lead, workers using laundered shop towels were also potentially exposed to aluminum, cadmium, cobalt, copper and iron at levels exceeding intakes associated with drinking water standards set by EPA and other toxicity criteria.
• At the high end, workers' exposure to lead was up to levels 1,170 times higher than CalEPA's criteria for reproductive effects and 19.5 times more than the amount associated with the EPA action level for lead in drinking water.
Read the full EHSToday.com post here. The Abstract and full text of the Gradient report, "Evaluation of Potential Exposure to Metals in Laundered Shop Towels," in the October issue of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, is available at here at Taylor & Francis Online.
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