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5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

potential responses of CCP users—particularly heavy users. Data from industry reporting systems suggest no widespread problem and in fact indicate a decrease in health-related complaints in recent years despite an increase in CCP production. However, these passive reporting systems are unlikely to capture all or even most cases of CCP-related health effects, and changes in publicity about CCP may have caused fluctuations in the reporting of cases. Since the 1980s, no epidemiologic studies have been conducted to determine irritative symptoms among U.S. Workers exposed to CCP [Mendell et al. 1991]. A positive epidemiologic study was conducted in Finland in 1991 [Jaakkola and Jaakkola 1999]. However, the relevance of these findings for U.S. workers may be limited because of differences between the CCP products used in Europe and the United States. Thus information is lacking about the prevalence of irritation of the eyes, skin, and upper respiratory tract among workers currently handling CCP in the United States.

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