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Lung damage in rats from semiconductor compounds
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reduction in weight gain (Haut K.T. er al., Fundamental and Applied Toxicology 1996,32,224).
Carbon black and lung cancer Further evidente of a link between carbon black exposure and lung cancer is provided by a Montreal study involving 857 patients with the disease, 1360 patients with other types of cancer (cancer controls) and 533 population controls. A total of 227 study participants were considered to have been exposed to carbon black. When these were split into Yower” and “higher” exposure groups, the risk of lung cancer was increased slightly in the higher exposure group [18 cases, odds ratio (OR) 2.17,95% CI 0.95-4.91 using cancer controls, OR 1.52,95% CI 0.5-3.97 using population controls]. However, higher carbon black exposure was associated with a significant increase in risk of a particular type of lung cancer, oat-cel1 carcinoma (OR 5.05,95% CI 1.72-14.87 using cancer controls, OR 4.82,95% CI 1.36-17.02 using population controls) (Parent M.-E. et al., American jowmal of Industrial Medicine 1996, 30,285).
Genotoxic effects of benzene in petrol workers A Swedish study provides indication of the genotoxic effect of benzene from petrol fumes. After an B-hr shift, a group of 33 workers (car mechanics, refinery workers and petrol pump repair men) exposed to a mean leve1 of 0.13 ppm benzene (range 0.003-0.6 ppm) showed significantly higher incidences of DNA damage (single-strand breaks) in the white blood cells than did 33 controls with negligible benzene exposure. The petrol workers also showed, both during the work shift and for some hours afterwards, increased urinary levels of a marker of oxidative DNA damage (Nilsson R.I. et al., American Joumal of Industrial Medicine 1996, 30, 317).
Chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents and cancer Two case reports are presented of cancer of the bile duet after occupational exposure to trichloroethane, while a third person exposed to trichloroethylene developed pancreatic cancer. The three men were aged between 35 and 45 yr at diagnosis, had worked with the solvents for around 2-4 yr, and had been heavily exposed both dermally and by inhalation (Zarchy T.M., American Joumal of Industrial Medicine 1996,30, 341).
Lung damage in rats from semlconductor compounds Copper gallium diselenide, copper indium diselenide and cadmium telluride, important materials in the production of thin films in the semiconductor industry, caused lung damage at the lowest tested dose of 12.5 mg/kg body weight when instilled directly into the windpipe of rats (Morgan D.L. et al., Environmental Research 1996, 71, 16).
Kidney stone risk from ethylene glycol ether exposure A Finnish study of eight silkscreen printers and 21 office workers led to the suggestion that the printers may be at a higher risk of developing urinary stones. This prediction was based on the markedly raised levels of calcium and oxalic acid in the urine of the printers arising from their exposure to ethylene glycol ethers and their acetates. It was proposed that a new biological exposure limit, below that of 100 mg 2-ethoxyacetic acid/g creatine in urine currently favoured by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, was required to protect against kidney effects (Laitinen J. et al., Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1996, 53, 595).
Nitromethane - chronic toxicity in rats In a 2-yr inhalation study nitromethane produced “no target pathology of either a nonneoplastic or neoplastic nature related to the exposure to 100 or 200 ppm”. The only effect noted was a decrease in body weight gain at both dose levels in the females. The rats were exposed 7 hr/day for 5 days/wk and an extensive range of tissues were microscopically examined (Griffin T.B. et al. Ecotoxicology and Environmental .!&&v 1996,34,109).
Immunosuppression by dermallyapplied acetone or ethanol A group of US investigators has found that the degree of immunosuppression induced by a phorbol ester applied to the skin of mice was modulated by (and for some endpoints, indistinguishable from) that observed with acetone, the solvent used for its application. A similar finding was reported with another solvent, ethanol (Singh K.P. et al., Fundamental and Applied Toxico/ogy 1996,33, 129).
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reduction in weight gain (Haut K.T. er al., Fundamental and Applied Toxicology 1996,32,224).
Carbon black and lung cancer Further evidente of a link between carbon black exposure and lung cancer is provided by a Montreal study involving 857 patients with the disease, 1360 patients with other types of cancer (cancer controls) and 533 population controls. A total of 227 study participants were considered to have been exposed to carbon black. When these were split into Yower” and “higher” exposure groups, the risk of lung cancer was increased slightly in the higher exposure group [18 cases, odds ratio (OR) 2.17,95% CI 0.95-4.91 using cancer controls, OR 1.52,95% CI 0.5-3.97 using population controls]. However, higher carbon black exposure was associated with a significant increase in risk of a particular type of lung cancer, oat-cel1 carcinoma (OR 5.05,95% CI 1.72-14.87 using cancer controls, OR 4.82,95% CI 1.36-17.02 using population controls) (Parent M.-E. et al., American jowmal of Industrial Medicine 1996, 30,285).
Genotoxic effects of benzene in petrol workers A Swedish study provides indication of the genotoxic effect of benzene from petrol fumes. After an B-hr shift, a group of 33 workers (car mechanics, refinery workers and petrol pump repair men) exposed to a mean leve1 of 0.13 ppm benzene (range 0.003-0.6 ppm) showed significantly higher incidences of DNA damage (single-strand breaks) in the white blood cells than did 33 controls with negligible benzene exposure. The petrol workers also showed, both during the work shift and for some hours afterwards, increased urinary levels of a marker of oxidative DNA damage (Nilsson R.I. et al., American Joumal of Industrial Medicine 1996, 30, 317).
Chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents and cancer Two case reports are presented of cancer of the bile duet after occupational exposure to trichloroethane, while a third person exposed to trichloroethylene developed pancreatic cancer. The three men were aged between 35 and 45 yr at diagnosis, had worked with the solvents for around 2-4 yr, and had been heavily exposed both dermally and by inhalation (Zarchy T.M., American Joumal of Industrial Medicine 1996,30, 341).
Lung damage in rats from semlconductor compounds Copper gallium diselenide, copper indium diselenide and cadmium telluride, important materials in the production of thin films in the semiconductor industry, caused lung damage at the lowest tested dose of 12.5 mg/kg body weight when instilled directly into the windpipe of rats (Morgan D.L. et al., Environmental Research 1996, 71, 16).
Kidney stone risk from ethylene glycol ether exposure A Finnish study of eight silkscreen printers and 21 office workers led to the suggestion that the printers may be at a higher risk of developing urinary stones. This prediction was based on the markedly raised levels of calcium and oxalic acid in the urine of the printers arising from their exposure to ethylene glycol ethers and their acetates. It was proposed that a new biological exposure limit, below that of 100 mg 2-ethoxyacetic acid/g creatine in urine currently favoured by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, was required to protect against kidney effects (Laitinen J. et al., Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1996, 53, 595).
Nitromethane - chronic toxicity in rats In a 2-yr inhalation study nitromethane produced “no target pathology of either a nonneoplastic or neoplastic nature related to the exposure to 100 or 200 ppm”. The only effect noted was a decrease in body weight gain at both dose levels in the females. The rats were exposed 7 hr/day for 5 days/wk and an extensive range of tissues were microscopically examined (Griffin T.B. et al. Ecotoxicology and Environmental .!&&v 1996,34,109).
Immunosuppression by dermallyapplied acetone or ethanol A group of US investigators has found that the degree of immunosuppression induced by a phorbol ester applied to the skin of mice was modulated by (and for some endpoints, indistinguishable from) that observed with acetone, the solvent used for its application. A similar finding was reported with another solvent, ethanol (Singh K.P. et al., Fundamental and Applied Toxico/ogy 1996,33, 129).