Montréal, April 12, 2007 — The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) has just produced a detailed portrait of the highest concentrations of pollutants in Québec companies by examining more than 220,000 results of environmental analyses carried out in his laboratories between 2001 and 2005. These air samples were collected mainly by practitioners from health and social services agencies, local community services centers (CLSC), the CSST and joint sector-based associations. The interpretation of the results made it possible to determine, by industrial class, the chemical substance exposure situations most likely to cause health effects.
Exposures above the standards
Although the results must be carefully interpreted, the researchers considered only the most relevant data. In the end, 50 chemicals and 141 industrial classes were retained. The study clearly shows that some substances are frequently found at a level equal to or above the exposure standards. This is the case for welding fumes, quartz, styrene, lead, beryllium, isocyanates, wood dusts, nickel, toluene, iron and methylene chloride. For some of them, action programs are being carried out at the provincial level.
In the case of fibres, grain dusts, triglycidyl isocyanurate, quartz, diethyl ether and methyl ethyl ketone, the analyses show that more than 60% of the concentrations exceed the standard in a few industrial sectors.
The industries
Among other things, the IRSST’s report examines the results from the standpoint of the industrial classes. The environmental analyses carried out in some industries such as machine shops, masonry work and the truck and bus body industry show high concentrations for at least five substances. In the case of the custom coating of metal products industry and the boatbuilding and repair industry, more than one substance was measured at concentrations exceeding the standards in at least 60% of the analyses.
The report identifies many situations where the results are more than twice the standard. Some examples are:
- fibres in the other machinery and equipment industries;
- triglycidyl isocyanurate and oligomers of HDI in the custom coating of metal products industry;
- beryllium in the industrial inorganic chemical industry;
- lead in the other non-ferrous metal smelting and refining industries;
- hardwood and softwood dust in forestry services.
Commenting on the report’s results, the IRSST’s president and CEO, Diane Gaudet, reminded that there “are action programs to reduce workers’ exposure and prevent occupational injuries for some analyzed substances. This study has the advantage of identifying major trends that determine the most problematic pollutants and the high-risk sectors in order to better guide the practitioners’ actions.”
