I heard about popcorn lung awhile back. Diacetyl, a chemical used to give microwave popcorn its buttery flavor, is apparently causing popcorn factory workers' lungs to fail. It sounds like workers in these popcorn plants are inhaling this compound which causes them to get Popcorn Lung, a form of bronchiolitis obliterans. The only supposed treatment is a lung transplant. OSHA under the Bush administration refused to set standards for exposure to diacetyl. That position has now been reversed under Obama's Kingdom. Right now 300 popcorn workers have lawsuits pending, some have won multimillion dollar settlements.
Ouch.
While reading this, a worry began tugging at some still functioning portion of my brain. What about those butter-flavoured cooking sprays?
ReplyDeleteI went and looked at the can we have (rarely used), and it made no mention of Diacetyl, saying instead "butter flavouring." Nice and vague. Enter Google.
Beaucoup information -- about everything from PAM to microwave popcorn.
A starting point: http://www.seattlepi.com/national/344277_diacetyl21.html
"A study commissioned by the Seattle P-I shows that top-selling butter substitutes, when heated, release vapor from a chemical additive called diacetyl. When inhaled, this vapor has been linked to a rare, sometimes fatal respiratory disease called bronchiolitis obliterans.
The diacetyl vapors from some of the products are released in such volume that they could pose a significant risk to professional cooks who stand over hot grills or skillets for hours and use large amounts of these butter substitutes, according to the analysis."
Thanks for the post. Isn't it *somewhat* (ever so slightly*)gratifying to have a President respectful of real science? It's got to be an improvement over FantasyLand.
{she runs for the back door}
Oops. A question. These workers with bronchiolitis obliterans -- do you think that transplantation will ever be possible? Having read just enough this morning to be a public idiot -- I get that it often is a *result* of lung transplants -- but are bronchs ever transplanted, themselves?
First of all, great photo! I had no idea those dogs were so little...adorable.
ReplyDeleteSecond, this post is frightening. It is beyond belief that these people would have knowingly been exposed to this kind of harm.
It makes me wonder what other chemicals are potentially harmful that we haven't heard about yet.
Order popcorn from Boy Scouts this fall. It doesn't contain the lung damaging chemicals and at $1 a bag is a bargain and helps fund projects and camps for boys.
ReplyDeleteAlternatively, buy the kernels and put a little olive oil in a pan (or air pop, if you have an air popper). Very inexpensive!
I've not looked at this issue in a while. Thanks for the heads up on the reversal. Yes, transplant is possible, and yes if transplanted they could lose the battle to BO again. The BO (OB)in transplant patients is usually thought to be from virus susceptibility mostly though, due to immune supression from the tx regimine. If damage is caught early enough in the worker and exposure avoided, they hopefully will not progress enough to require transplant, but will not necessarily reverse the reduced lung function. Lung transplant survival statistics are still not great due to OB and other risks not so involved in other solid organ transplant, so it's not a great option, but at least it's there. Hoping for continued advancements in that field.
ReplyDeleteThe food additives industry is the next great venue for the plaintiff attorneys.
National Jewish Medical Center in Denver is probably the best place to go for serious lung issues.
ReplyDeleteIn 2007, a Colorado man was diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans after having eaten microwave popcorn at least twice daily for over 10 years.
Dr. Cecile Rose, director of the occupational disease clinical programs at National Jewish Medical and Research Center has consulted to flavorings manufacturers for years about “popcorn workers’ lung,” and said that something about the man’s tests appeared similar to those of the workers.“I said to him, ‘This is a very weird question, but bear with me. But are you around a lot of popcorn?’ ” Dr. Rose asked. “His jaw dropped and he said, ‘How could you possibly know that about me? I am Mr. Popcorn. I love popcorn.’ ”