The danger of dermatoses due to cold-setting ethoxyline resins (epoxide resins).

A new group of synthetic resins (the ethoxyline or epoxide resins) has been widely accepted in industry during the last few years. These resins, thanks to their novel properties as adhesives and casting resins, are used in the modern manufacture of various kinds of apparatus, of electrical equipment, of automobiles, and of aircraft. They are usually supplied in the form of two reactive components, resin and hardener. The cold-setting casting resins occupy a special position among the ethoxyline resins, most of which are aliphatic-aromaticpolyetherscontaining hydroxyl and terminal epoxy groups. The highly reactive hardeners employed are usually polyamines. Mixtures of these two are capable of transformation at room temperature into solid, infusible substances. In practice, the ethoxyline resin is mixed with the polyamine hardener in the ratio of about 10 :1 immediately before use and then applied to the desired point of the material by casting or brushing or injecting. The ethoxyline resins were introduced under the general term " epoxide or epoxy " resins, being offered under the trademarks "epon" or "araldite" casting resin. As is well known, both manufacturers and users of lacquers are familiar with the handling of dangerous substances and apply comprehensive protective measures; as a result few or no dermatoses have appeared in lacquer factories till now. Dermatoses were reported in the U.S.A. too after these products had been found useful in various industries as adhesives and casting resins. The introduction of ethoxyline resins into works hitherto unfamiliar with chemical processes brought the operatives into contact for the first time with substances which carried an unknown risk to the skin. Therefore, the first extensive " epidemics " of skin eruptions appeared mainly in such " nonchemical" factories. The first observations of skin irritation during work with such resins were reported by Pletscher, 1 Schuppli, and Reipert (1954). Six out of 20 operatives working with " araldite " casting resin D suffered from severe eczema, eight exhibited only slight, temporary epidermal irritation, and the rest remained free of symptoms. Since the epidermal symptoms were apparently of an allergic nature, the 20 operatives were patch-tested for epidermal sensitivity to " araldite " casting resin D, hardener 951 (triethylenetetramine), and various other substances. These tests showed that out of the 14 workmen suffering from epidermal reactions, four were hypersensitive to " araldite " casting resin D, two to hardener 951, and three to both substances. The men free from symptoms exhibited no hypersensitivity. On the basis of their observations, the authors concluded that contact with " araldite " casting resin D and hardener 951 can lead to allergic epidermal eczema. The present paper describes our investigations in 11 factories in four European countries (mainly in electrical engineering) using these substances.