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Dust entry

Castor-bean dust

Allergenic dust from castor beans or contaminated shipping bags encountered during coffee handling and processing.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

occupational asthmaallergic sensitizationrespiratory symptoms

Evidence

A NIOSH health-hazard evaluation at a coffee roasting, flavoring, and packaging facility reported that castor bean dust from contaminated shipping bags is a known occupational-asthma risk and found a worker with asthma symptoms and specific allergy to castor bean dust.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 43 · Discussion · 3
The coffee industry has a known risk of occupational asthma in relation to green and roasted coffee dusts and castor bean dusts from contaminated shipping bags. ... We found one employee with a history of asthma symptoms and specific allergy to castor bean dust, consistent with having occupational asthma which may be active when castor bean allergens are present in the facility.

HSE lists castor bean dust among substances that can cause occupational asthma and identifies castor-oil processing and related industrial uses as exposure contexts.

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Substances that can cause occupational asthma · 7
Castor bean dust — Castor oil is used in paint, varnish, hydraulic fluids, printing inks, nylon, plastics and cosmetics and hair oils.

HSE concludes that castor bean dust meets the criteria for classification as a respiratory sensitiser and cause of occupational asthma.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 15 · C3: Castor bean dust — Summary and conclusion · 2
There is sufficient evidence to conclude that castor bean dust meets the revised EU criteria (1996) for classification as a respiratory sensitiser (a cause of asthma) and labelling with R42.

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