Emergency calls related to waterproofing spray poisoning

Waterproofing spray misuse sparks warnings amid rise in breathing complaints

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Jul 08, 2019
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TOKYO - The Japan Poison Information Center is advising people to take care when using waterproofing spray, due to an increase in cases of lung inflammation and breathing difficulties associated with their use.
The warnings come as many people see such sprays as an invaluable ally during the rainy season.

In one case recorded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Comprehensive Consumer Center in 2016, a resident in their 20s told the center they had developed a fever and difficulty breathing after using waterproofing spray on their shoes. The person had been standing at the entrance to their home with a ventilation fan running at the time. After being diagnosed with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), the resident was said to have been admitted to hospital for nine days.

According to the Japan Poison Information Center and other bodies, the sprays work by applying a thin film of water-repellent resins to various materials. It is thought that if the spray is inhaled, the chemicals in it can cause irritation, and the resins can cling to the lungs, causing breathing and other difficulties.

The center's emergency poison information service number received its most calls regarding the sprays during the skiing boom in 1993 and 1994, recording over 100 cases in both years.

As the government and manufacturers introduced measures to make the spread of sprayed particles more difficult, the number of calls fell to a low of six in 2001. But the number of cases gradually climbed again, ballooning to 68 cases in 2015."A greater variety of the products, such as for clothes and leather goods, have entered the market. So it's probably down to there being more opportunities to use them," a center representative speculated.

Analysis of 66 of the 68 calls the center received regarding waterproofing sprays in 2015 showed the greatest number was recorded in June, the height of the summer rainy season, with nine incidences. July came second with eight. Some 40 cases, or 61%, were said to have taken place indoors or in a vehicle.

The center's warnings when using waterproofing sprays advise people to wear a mask and administer them outdoors in an area with good air circulation. It also urges users to confirm no one else is in their immediate vicinity, particularly children, when using the sprays.

Source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190708/p2a/00m/0na/002000c

Japan , World