Occupational Exposure Risks to Xylene and Other Chemicals in Puerto Rico

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) describes xylene as a colorless, flammable liquid with a sweet odor. There are three forms of xylene in which the methyl groups vary on the benzene ring: meta-xylene, ortho-xylene and para-xylene (m-, o- and p-xylene).
 
Chemical companies produce xylene from petroleum and it is one of the top 30 chemicals produced in the United States in terms of volume according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It is used as a solvent and in the printing, rubber and leather industries. Xylene is also used as a cleaning agent, a thinner for paint, and in paints and varnishes. It can even be found in small amounts in airplane fuel and gasoline.
 
Workers may be harmed from exposure to xylene with the level of exposure depending upon the dose, duration and work being done. NIOSH states that exposure to xylene can irritate the eyes, nose, skin and throat. Xylene can also cause headaches, dizziness, confusion, loss of muscle coordination, and in high doses, death.
 
Some examples of workers potentially at risk of being exposed to xylene according to NIOSH include:

• Painters and furniture refinishers who use paint thinners, solvents, lacquers and paint removers
• Biomedical laboratory workers who use it as a solvent to fix tissue specimens and rinse stains
• Workers involved in the distillation and purification of xylene
• Workers employed in industries who use xylene as a raw material
• Gas station and automobile garage workers through exposure to petroleum products

“To protect workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for xylene and NIOSH has a Recommended Exposure Limit (REL),” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Companies and institutions in Puerto Rico that utilize xylene, and other potentially harmful chemicals, can turn to the professionals at Zimmetry Environmental for industrial hygiene testing, monitoring, consulting and training services to identify and mitigate these occupational exposure risks.”
 
Zimmetry also recently sponsored an educational video about xylene and occupational exposure hazards that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/pUvg_ccaEBs
 
To learn more about Zimmetry’s industrial hygiene, environmental, air quality, compliance and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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