Summary
The study is a comprehensive evaluation of the health effects of various theatrical exposures, with a focus on glycol-based fog effects. The major findings are:
1. There is no evidence of serious health effects associated with exposure to any of the theatrical effects evaluated in this study.
2. Peak exposures to elevated localized air concentrations following a release of glycol smoke are associated with increased reporting of respiratory, throat, and nasal symptoms, as well as findings of vocal cord inflammation.
3. The study found that increased edema and redness of the structures of the throat at the pre-show evaluation were not associated with theatrical exposures, but rather cigarette smoking. however, the acute change model showed an increase in fiberoptic findings was significantly associated with the preliminary and the detailed integrated glycol exposure variables.
4. Increased pathologic findings were not associated with any of the exposures; in fact, actors with mineral oil or pyrotechnics exposure had significantly fewer findings.
5. The sensation of coated vocal cords noted in the Phase 1 and Phase 2 symptoms analysis may suggest chronic irritation, as suggested by the observed association between glycol exposure and pre-performance findings of throat or laryngeal inflammation.
In general, the study found that glycol-based fog effects can cause minor respiratory and throat symptoms, but there is no evidence of serious health effects. The study also highlights the importance of proper warm-up and the role of stage managers and actors in providing detailed information about their shows and health symptoms.
Citation
Moline, Jacqueline M, and anne Golden. “health Effects Evaluation of Theatrical Smoke, haze, and Pyrotechnics.” Equity-League Pension and health Trust Funds, 2000.
