POPCORN LUNG DISEASE

Microwave popcorn factory workers have been diagnosed with the fatal lung disease bronchiolitis obliterans. The rare lung disease, which has been recently referred to as "popcorn worker's lung", consists of a serious and irreversible inflammation of the airways that lead to the lungs.

There is no current estimate of how many workers will be affected by popcorn lung disease, but thousands of employees have been exposed to diacetyl - the chemical alleged to cause the disease. Diacetyl is used in the production of artificial butter flavors that are used in the microwave popcorn.

At least one employee has died from diacetyl exposure. The FDA does not test chemicals for inhalation safety, only for ingestion safety, but a 2003 study by the Environmental Protection Agency on chemical emissions has linked potential health risks from inhaling artificial butter flavors containing diacetyl in microwave popcorn to fatal lung disease. In previous studies the compound diacetyl had been linked with the lung disease in laboratory animals.

Scientists Letter to OSHA on Diacetyl
Petition for an OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard for Diacetyl

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