Declaring the risks of contracting permanent or deadly lung disease “serious,” the CDC recently finalized a warning to employers and workers in the coffee, popcorn and other food and beverage businesses: Beware of diacetyl.
NIOSH found that a relationship exists between diacetyl exposures and lower pulmonary function. Utilizing this analysis, NIOSH recommends keeping exposure to diacetyl below a concentration of 5 parts per billion as a time-weighted average during a 40-hour work week. To further protect against effects of short-term exposures, NIOSH recommends a short-term exposure limit for diacetyl of 25 parts per billion for a 15-minute time period.