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Egg-protein aerosol

Airborne protein particulate and aerosol generated during egg washing, breaking, and processing.

Airborne form

aerosol

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 asthmaairway sensitizationallergic respiratory responsessmall-airway exposurerespiratory irritation

Evidence

A CDC/NIOSH-indexed study found the highest airborne egg-protein concentrations in egg washing and breaking rooms, identified those areas as having the greatest sensitization risk, and reported that much of the aerosol could reach the small airways.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 1 · Summary · 1
Workers at this plant had previously been documented to have IgE-mediated occupational asthma from airborne egg protein exposure. ... One additional participant ... was determined to have developed IgE-mediated occupational asthma from egg protein exposure ... On the basis of these data, NIOSH investigators have determined that a health hazard continued to exist among employees ... from occupational exposure to airborne egg protein.

A NIOSH-authored study of workers processing raw eggs into powdered egg yolk and whole egg found egg-dust levels near the ACGIH nuisance-dust guideline and diagnosed five definite asthma cases; all five cases had positive skin-prick tests to egg proteins, supporting IgE-mediated occupational asthma from inhaled egg protein.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 1 · Abstract · 1
Egg dust levels in the packaging room straddled the ... guideline of 10 mg/m3 for nuisance dust. ... All five definite cases ... had one or more positive skin-prick tests to egg proteins. This study demonstrates that occupational asthma associated with IgE-mediated allergy to egg proteins occurs among workers exposed to inhaled egg proteins.

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