Research has shown that workers employed in footwear manufacture are at increased risk of some cancers, the strongest
evidence being for nasal cancer and leukemia. Footwear-workers are routinely exposed to complex mixtures of solvents in
degreasers, cleaners, primers, and adhesives used in the production process as toluene, n-hexane, acetone, and possibly dust
particles, additives in shoe materials and degradation products of materials. The recognition of the potential health-hazards of
solvent-based adhesives (SBAs) has lead to the development of adhesives with no organic solvents, the water-based adhesives
(WBA).