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Detergent Industry
A marked enzyme allergy problem appeared in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when clusters of enzyme allergy emerged rapidly in enzyme production and the detergent industries. The appearence was linked to the expanded production of B.subtilis proteases. The first report was published by Flindt (1969), who described asthmatic symptoms emerging in a detergent factory during the course of the first year that proteases were introduced in the plant. Out of a group of symptomatic workers, 25 had positive skin prick tests (SPTs) to one or two protease products (Alcalase ® , Maxatase ® ). After this report, epidemiological studies started to accumulate from the industry. The sensitization rate was 5–50%, and 5–30% had work-related symptoms (Wüthrich & Ott 1969, Greenberg et al 1970, McMurrain 1970, Newhouse et al 1970, Shapiro et al 1971, Weill et al 1971, Göthe et al 1972, Gilson et al 1976, Belin & Norman 1977, Juniper et al 1977, Zachariae 1981, Juniper & Roberts 1984, Pepys et al 1985, Flood et al 1985). The symptoms were primarily respiratory (asthma, rhinitis), and only a few skin symptoms were reported, whose origin was considered to be irritation, not sensitization. After the initial reports of high allergy prevalences in the industry, the rapid growth of enzyme detergents was temporarily set back in the early 1970s. Vigorous actions were taken to solve the problem, including the development of encapsulated enzyme products (to prevent dusting) and improvements in industrial hygiene at the worksites, such as enclosure of processes and use of respiratory protective equipment. Some of the factories ceased using enzymes. Some adopted the practice of excluding atopics from enzyme work (Newhouse et al 1970, Witmeur et al 1973, Juniper et al 1977). A major reduction in sensitization and symptoms was reported among employees (Gilson et al 1976, Juniper et al 1977, Juniper & Roberts 1984, Pepys et al 1985, Flood et al 1985). The enzyme allergy problem in the detergent industry seemed to have abated. Large multinational companies reported a yearly incidence of 2–3% new cases of sensitization and a prevalence of up to 10% but few or no cases of asthma during the 1990s (Gaines 1994, Cathcart et al 1997, Sarlo et al 1997a, Schweigert et al 2000). Recently, however, a high prevalence of sensitization to enzymes (26%) and a prevalence of 16% for work-related lower-respiratory symptoms accompanied with sensitization were reported in a detergent factory in the United Kingdom (Cullinan et al 2000). In Finland, little data exist on allergies in the detergent industry. A case report described two employees, a processman and a packer, who probably had enzyme-induced asthma. Their symptoms started in 1967, about one year after the introduction of enzymes in the factory, and sentitization to the protease used was proved by scratch tests in 1969 (Stubb 1972).
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Related Topics on Detergent Industry
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