Researchers recently found workers at specialty coffee roaster plants may also be at risk for serious lung disease, with implications for coffee shop workers.

Last month, the Center for Disease Control researchers at local coffee shop Just Coffee Cooperative found troubling concentrations of harmful chemicals diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione present during the roasting process. The findings are of interest because they reinforce the need for regulation of exposure in a variety of industries in which these chemicals are found.

The research began in 2015 after journalists from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel approached the coffee roaster about exposure to the two chemicals among workers. Diacetyl and the similar 2,3-pentanedione are believed to increase the risk of obliterative bronchiolitis, CDC spokesperson Nura Sadeghpour said. Diacetyl is produced when roasting natural coffee beans as well as those with added flavoring.

Obliterative bronchitis is an irreversible lung disease that produces shortness of breath. Sadeghpour said workers may be exposed to the two chemicals in the production of a variety of other food products such as microwaveable popcorn and butter.

Nationwide there are 19,000 workers in coffee and tea plants, but it is still difficult to get an estimate of the number of workers exposed throughout the production process, Sadeghpour said.

The CDC has released a best practices guide for diacetyl. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration has also issued a statement on the dangers the chemical can pose.

When an industrial hygienist visited the coffee roasting plant to run tests, Just Coffee Cooperative co-founder Matt Earley said they found diacetyl levels higher than those recommended by the CDC. Earley said up until that point, the CDC had never conducted research within a specialty coffee roasting facility that did not use added flavoring.

“Before this, they had only ever done research at larger coffee roasters, so this was important,” Earley said.

Just Coffee Cooperative serves up cups of activism with coffee

Earley said researchers found specific areas within the plant that had concerning concentrations by setting up stations within the plant.

In response to the research, Earley said his company is implementing measures aimed at reducing exposure to chemical fumes. At the moment, he said there are efforts to reduce exposure by increasing air circulation with fans and improving overall ventilation. Other ways of reducing exposure include covering the roasted bean storage bins, but Earley said he expects the CDC to give them more specific recommendations sometime in the near future.

Aside from increasing circulation and limiting the amount of time workers spend around diacetyl, Earley said there is little else to be done to prevent exposure for the moment.

“Other than moving the air around, I’m not sure there is much else we can really do to stay safe,” Earley said.

Diacetyl inhalation can occur when handling coffee beans after the roasting process, which is why one recommendation was to seal containers of roasted beans. Given this, there is some level of risk for coffee shop workers.

Earley stressed that even though the report found worrisome chemical levels within the roasting plant, the levels were not considered “high” under CDC guidelines. Even still, Earley said he is committed to ensuring his workers have a healthy work environment.

“The research originally peaked our interest because we’re a worker co-op and we care a lot about worker health and safety,” Earley said.

But even though Earley is responding appropriately to reduce his workers’ exposure to diacetyl, he is under no legal obligation to do so. There are currently no regulations at the state or national level covering worker exposure to diacetyl despite several studies tying it to lung disease.