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Dust entry

Penicillin powder dust

Airborne powdered penicillin generated during pharmaceutical manufacturing and handling.

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

asthma-like respiratory symptomsshortness of breath with wheezingskin rashdry cracked skinrespiratory sensitization concern

Evidence

A NIOSH evaluation at a specialty pharmaceutical manufacturer measured airborne penicillin-dust exposures of 2.48–12.47 mg/m3 among production workers with direct contact. The report describes asthma-like symptoms and a higher prevalence of dry, cracked skin in the penicillin-exposed group, but found no dose-response relationship between asthma-like symptoms and penicillin-dust exposure and no significant pulmonary-function differences among exposure groups.

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Abstract · 1
Production workers who had direct contact with the powdered material experienced airborne dust exposures ranging from 2.48 to 12.47 milligrams per cubic meter ... A dose/response relationship was not found between the asthma/like symptoms and exposure to penicillin dust ... A higher prevalence of dry, cracked skin was noted in the penicillin group.

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