December 2010
Exposures to Dusts During Solid Catalyst Loading and Unloading at a Refinery
Our Challenge
- ChemRisk was retained to assess potential health risks associated with exposures to dusts during the loading/unloading of different types of reactors with solid petroleum catalysts.
- Few scientific studies have reported on the health effects of exposure to solid petroleum catalyst dust.
Our Approach
- We evaluated historical air monitoring records, as well as policies pertaining to the handling of petroleum catalysts and the use of respiratory protection.
- Examined levels of total dust and about 20 individual metals.
- Examined personal protective equipment requirements.
- Performed literature review and assessed overall state-of-the-science.
Our Findings
- Contract technicians were unlikely to have been exposed to unsafe levels of catalyst dust.
- Claims of lung disease put forth by plaintiffs’ experts were not supported by the occupational medical literature,
and were inconsistent with radiologic and pulmonary function studies performed on the plaintiffs.