ID#: 9463
Caption:
This April 1941 historical photograph was provided by the Center for Disease Control's (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). It depicted a number of African-American workers, loading nitrate of soda into cotton bags. Note that the men were equipped with inadequate respiratory protection. One worker in the background was wearing a simple dust mask. The worker in the center was using a bandana as protection, while the others were completely unprotected. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Industrial Hygiene Division (IHD) investigated hazards associated with activities like metal grinding. The potential worker health problems associated with nitrate of soda dust, include both inhalational respiratory pathology, and dermatitic, or skin irritation upon contact. Prolonged exposure may cause anemia, weakness, general depression, headache, mental impairment, methemoglobinemia, and nephritis.
High Resolution: Click here for hi-resolution image (6.17 MB)
Content Provider(s): CDC/ Barbara Jenkins, NIOSH
Creation Date: 1941
Photo Credit: Forsythe
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Copyright Restrictions: Permission is not required for public domain images, however, these images are provided by CDC and are available for personal, professional, and educational use with appropriate attribution. Redistribution must credit CDC and, where known, the individual photographer, and identify the CDC website as the free source. For additional terms see Use of Agency Materials | Other | CDC