What is 1-BP and How Does it Affect Your Health?

1-BP, or 1-bromapopane is a type of solvent used for a number or commercial and industrial products such as dry cleaning products, degreasing solutions, adhesive sprays and aerosol sprays, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Health Consequences of Occupational Exposure to 1-BP

Long-term occupational exposure to 1-B can cause irritation of the eyes, mucus membranes, airways, and skin. It also affects the nervous system and causes a person to experience headaches, dizziness, confusion, and numbness of extremities. According to the National Institute of Health, National Toxicology Program studies reveal that 1-BP could be a possible human carcinogenic. 

What about PELs?

The higher the concentration of 1-BP in the air and the longer workers get exposed to it, the more severe the health consequences are. Unfortunately, OSHA does not have an established permissible exposure limit (PEL) for 1-BP exposure. The agency, however, recognizes the shortcomings of its dated PELs (or lack thereof) and prescribes recommended PELs that regional OSHAs and organizations like the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) are observing to employers. 

How Can Exposure to 1-BP be Prevented?

Occupational exposure to 1-BP can be regulated through elimination or substitution, by implementing engineering and administrative controls and through the use of personal protective equipment, according to OSHA’s Hazard Alert. 

Eliminating the hazard or substituting it with a lesser toxic material can effectively reduce workers’ occupational exposure to it. An example of hazard substitution is replacing 1-BP based adhesives with water-based or acetone-based ones. 

Engineering controls involve reducing the contaminant through isolation (i.e. isolating machines that use 1-BP from work areas), ventilation (i.e. using exhausts), and conducting regular machine inspections. 

Administrative controls, on the other hand, are implemented work policies that employees have to observe to keep themselves from getting exposed to 1-BP. Controls include reducing the length of time workers are exposed to 1-BP; keeping 1-BP containers sealed at all times; and shortening drying periods during dry cleaning operations. 

Finally, the use of personal protective equipment as a first line of defense against occupational exposure, or at a time when administrative or engineering controls are still being set up or designed is also an effective means of reducing occupational exposure to 1-BP. PPEs include NIOSH-approved air-purifying respirators, which are compliant of the requirements of the 29 CFR 1910.134; and the use of protective clothing to completely prevent or limit contact with 1-BP. (As mentioned earlier, 1-BP can also be absorbed by the body through the skin.)

Recognizing the hazards of 1-BP and the proper usage of personal protective equipment is one of the topics covered by an OSHA 30 course. Make sure you get your training prior to entering the worksite.