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Dust entry

Penicillin pharmaceutical dust

Airborne penicillin particulate generated during pharmaceutical production, grading, grinding, milling, and packing.

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

shortness of breath with wheezingchronic coughwheezingbreathlessnessdry cracked skinoccupational asthma concern

Evidence

A NIOSH evaluation of penicillin workers found production workers had average total-dust exposure of 5.97 mg/m3 and an excess prevalence of shortness of breath with wheezing; female penicillin workers also had higher prevalence of chronic cough, wheezing, and breathlessness, and the penicillin group had more dry cracked skin.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 2 · I. Summary · 1
Among workers exposed to penicillin ... production workers averaged 5.97 mg/m3 ... The penicillin group was characterized by an excess prevalence of attacks of shortness of breath with wheezing (42%). ... chronic cough (50%), wheezing (54%), and breathlessness (35%). A significantly higher prevalence of dry cracked skin was found in the penicillin group.

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